Essay on Yoruba Art and Culture - 702 Words

?Any work of art owes its existence to the people and culture from which it has emerged. It has a functional and historical relationship with that culture.? Michael W. Conner, PhD# Staffs are carried and danced with by priestesses and priest in the Sango cult, dedicated to Sango, the Yoruba deity of thunder and lighting. The female figure represents a worshiper of Shango. The majority of the Yoruba people live on the west coast of Africa in Nigeria, but can also be found in many other places, as they are one of the largest cultural classifications in Africa. There are approximately 40 million Yoruba world-wide. As a matter of fact, most of the slaves brought to America were Yoruban, and descendants of their tribes can be found†¦show more content†¦Divination trays, staffs, stools, dance wands, and many other sacred objects are carved out of wood. The men in particular are responsible for woodcarving, utilizing the axe, the adze, the chisel, and the knife. The inspiration, impetus and objective for each piece is what will determine the style and form of art that is being created by each individual. Although the art forms created by the Yoruba are use d to decorate and to affirm their social standing,, Their art is also deeply rooted with their spiritual commitment, especially where the art is used as part of a ritual or as a means of communicating with their Gods. There are over 400 deities that are worshipped by the Yoruba, which are called Orisas. Certain Gods are worshiped by every Yoruban, but there are specific Gods that are worshiped individually by certain families or even towns. Every Yoruban makes regular offerings to the gods that they do worship. One particular God, Sango, resides in the sky. He is the God of Thunder and he is responsible for producing the lightening bolts and thunder that comes to the earth. It is the belief of the Yoruba that If he is offended or angered, he sends bolts of lightening to the ground to ignite the offender?s house, or even to strike and kill them dead. Although every worshipper of the God Sango, the thunder god, owns a carved wand as a personal shrine, it mayShow MoreRelatedEssay about The Cultural Art of Body Art1084 Words   |  5 PagesFor a long time now body art and decoration has been a custom in many cultural groups. Through research we have learned about the different types of body art and ornamentation such as permanent and nonpermanent tattooing, scarification, and piercings. 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