The Art of Africa and Oceania

1. Which work likely commemorates the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt?

a. Saqqara relief
b. Palette of Djoser
c. Saqqara Stele
d. Palette of Narmer

2. Which of the following describes the function of the pyramids?

a. Served as a reminder of the afterlife
b. Provided work for the powerful mason guild
c. Served as a platform for the priests of Amun to gain followers
d. Served as a reminder of the eternal power of the pharaoh

3. Which of the following describes one of the drawbacks of the fresco secco technique?

a. Colors fused to the wall surface
b. Fresco secco is more durable than true fresco
c. Colors do not fuse to the wall surface
d. Application of paint must be done quickly

4. Why is the Palette of Narmer unique among surviving Egyptian artworks?

a. Commemorative rather than funerary
b. Hidden in the tomb of Djoser
c. Buried in the Temple of Amun at Karnak
d. Found in the inner sanctuary of an unknown pharaoh

5. Pyramids were most popular during which of the following periods?

a. Predynastic period
b. Early Dynastic period
c. Middle Kingdom
d. Old Kingdom

6. The god who is symbolic of the river Nile and who dies and is reborn each year is:

a. Isis
b. Horus
c. Sekhmet
d. Osiris

7. An early Egyptian tomb that resembles a truncated pyramid is called a:

a. Tholos
b. Dromos
c. Mastaba
d. Serdab

8. A magnificent mortuary temple was built at Deir el Bahri for which of the following pharaohs?

a. Nefertiti
b. Imhotep
c. Ti
d. Hatshepsut

9. The use of elongated heads and necks and intimate, relaxed poses describes which of the following periods?

a. New Kingdom
b. Middle Kingdom
c. Amara Period
d. Ptolomeaic Period

10. In the Old Kingdom this structure adjoined the pyramid and was the site where offerings were made to the dead king and ceremonies were performed. Which of the following does this describe?

a. Temple at Luxor
b. Temple at Karnak
c. Mortuary temple
d. Valley temple

11. The ___ ceremonies of the Dogon are held every three to six years to honor the lives of those who have died.

a. Ife
b. Nok
c. Dama
d. None of the above

12. Which culture is found in Mali?

a. Nok
b. Benin
c. Igbo
d. Dogon

13. Which European nation established contact with the Kingdom of Benin in the 1470's?

a. Germany
b. France
c. Portugal
d. Spain

14. The earliest known culture in sub-Saharan Africa is:

a. Benin
b. Ife
c. Yaruba
d. Nok

15. The lost-wax method of casting is called piece-mold.

a. True
b. False

16. The region of Africa consists mainly of:

a. Savanna
b. Forest
c. Desert
d. Jungle

17. A type of African body ornamentation that is permanent is:

a. Body piercing
b. Tattooing
c. Scarification
d. Both a and c

18. Figurative sculpture is created within sets of formal parameters is called:

a. Naturalistic
b. Abstract
c. Non-representational
d. Both a and b

19. Rock painting in the Sahara began around:

a. 12,000 BC
b. 25,000 BC
c. 6,000 AD
d. 6,000 BC

20. Islam began to penetrate North Africa in the 9th century AD.

a. True
b. False

21. African religion is based on the premise that:

a. Human beings are helpless with regard to the deities
b. Deities are fiction
c. Human beings can manipulate the spirit world
d. Human beings cannot manipulate with spirit world without music

22. The majority of sculptures created in African societies, like the door from a king's Palace, is made of what medium?

a. Wood
b. Natural material
c. Stone
d. Both a and b

23. The very vertical Friday Mosque at Djenne is constructed of what material?

a. Adobe
b. Mud brick
c. Stone
d. Wood
e. Both a and b

24. What types of items does kingship regalia include?

a. Stools
b. Beads
c. Shell
d. Cloth
e. All of the above

25. An African culture known for its bronze casting is:

a. Ife
b. Benin
c. Yaruba
d. None of the above

26. The prosperity and power of the ancient kingdoms of Ghana and Mali were based on their control of ____ resources.

a. Bronze
b. Silver
c. Gold
d. Ivory

27. Bamana iron working includes the concept of Nyama as the source of ritual power associated with ____.

a. Gold
b. Silver
c. Ivory
d. Iron

28. Kingship in Benin was hereditary, and its kings were not considered divine as were the Egyptian pharaohs.

a. True
b. False

29. The _____ led an expeditionary force in 1897 that destroyed the Benin palace, looted its art and exiled its king.

a. Portuguese
b. French
c. Ife
d. None of the above

30. The oba is an absolute ruler who rules entirely independently.

a. True
b. False

31. The ____ titles are the most ancient and highest variety of the three orders of the chiefs of Benin.

a. Oba
b. Palace chief
c. Town chief
d. Uzama
e. Ancestor

32. Ife terra cotta and cast brass heads are ___ in style.

a. Abstract
b. Idealized
c. Naturalistic
d. Non-objective
e. Both b and c

33. Annual rituals involving dedication to royal ancestors are common in ____ African kingdoms.

a. North
b. South
c. East
d. West
e. Central

34. The ancient city of Ile-Ife is a sacred place for all ____ peoples.

a. Mali
b. Fon
c. Nupe
d. Benin
e. None of the above

35. Patterns of scarification in Africa usually refer to :

a. Ethnic identity
b. Gender
c. Status
d. Association affiliation
e. A, c and d

36. There are three distinct styles of Baule masks:

a. Naturalistic
b. Red ogre
c. Horned helmet headdress
d. Flat, circular disk mask
e. A, c and d

37. The king of Ife is called the:

a. Oni
b. Oba
c. Both a and b
d. Neither a nor b

38. The god Oduduwa founded Benin kingship rites.

a. True
b. False

39. The oba of Benin and his court are the political focus of the kingdom, but are not involved in art patronage.

a. True
b. False

40. In Benin, ____ is the color of dangerous and potentially hostile deities.

a. Black
b. White
c. Green
d. Yellow
e. Red

41. The obas of the ____ dynasty introduced brass commemorative heads.

a. Oduduwa
b. Oranmiyan
c. Emboro
d. Uzama

42. Nigeria is a land-locked African country.

a. True
b. False

43. North Africa is primarily a polytheistic area of Africa.

a. True
b. False

44. Nok and Benin cultures are located in:

a. Mali
b. Congo
c. Central Africa
d. Ethiopia
e. Nigeria

45. The earliest Nok terra cotta heads date to:

a. 500 BC
b. 200 AD
c. 6,000 BC
d. 1300 AD

46. Nyama is a Mende peoples' concept that can be compared to:

a. Art
b. Heat
c. Wind
d. Death

47. In Africa, the ____ is widely regarded as a symbol of regeneration.

a. Elephant
b. Antelope
c. Snake
d. None of the above

48. Dan-We Deangle masks represent:

a. Female forest spirit
b. Male forest spirit
c. Female water spirit
d. Male mountain spirit

49. Dogon figures are carved by a skilled carpenter.

a. True
b. False

50. The birds on a Yoruba crown represent:

a. Power of medicine
b. Divination
c. Withcraft
d. The power of royal ancestors
e. All of the above.