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Edo
groups of peoples, with a shared language also called Edo, living in southern Nigeria. The Edo trace their origins to the kingdom of Benin, which flourished between the 14th and 17th centuries. Edo groups are ethnically diverse, and their arts reflect cultural borrowing. |
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Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity
Christian church of Ethiopia headquartered in Addis Ababa. Currently, there are more than 30,000,000 adherents in Ethiopia and Eritrea. Although Ethiopia was Christianized in the 4th century, it was cut off from contact with neighboring Christian kingdoms in the 7th century by Muslim Arabs. It thus absorbed such non-Christian elements as the belief in benevolent and malevolent spirits, into Christian theology. From the 12th century, the Ethiopian church was under the jurisdiction of the Egyptian Coptic Church, and it was not until the middle of the 20th century that the Ethiopian church was established as an independent entity. |
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finial (n)
ornament forming the top of an object, such as a staff |
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gold foil (n)
very thin sheet of gold used to cover and decorate the surface of an object or painting |
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hilt (n)
handle, especially of a sword or dagger |
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homestead (n)
home and adjoining land occupied by a family |
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idealize (adj)
to hold up to a standard or model of perfection, beauty, or excellence |
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incise (v)
to cut into a surface with a sharp tool; to engrave or carve a design or pattern |
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infirmity (n)
sickness or disease. |
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intercessor (n)
one who mediates between a person and a deity |
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Kingdom of Benin
The Kingdom of Benin (established about 1300) is located in the tropical rain forests of southern Nigeria. The oba is the central figure in the kingdom and is considered a divine ruler, descended from the son of a god. He provides a link between the human and spiritual realms and has the power to influence natural and supernatural forces that affect the well being of the Edo people, the largest ethnic group in the kingdom.
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Kongo
groups of Bantu-speaking people living on the Atlantic coast of Africa, from the Democratic Republic of Congo in the north to Angola in the south. The Kongo kingdom reached its height of power in the 15th century, though almost nothing remains of that kingdom today except for certain traditional art forms, which have been passed down orally. Kongo artists produce a wide range of art, including masks, stone and ceramic sculpture, and wood, metal, and ivory regalia, which have been known to outsiders for centuries because of early contact with Europeans. The best-known objects produced by Kongo artists are the sculpted minkisi figures. |
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Kuba
The Kuba kingdom stretches across the western Kasai region of the Democratic Republic of Congo and unites 19 different ethnic groups under the leadership of a king. Most Kuba art is associated with leadership: the emblems, symbols, and praise songs establish the leaders as authority figures and as patrons of art.
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