The arts and crafts tradition in African culture can be traced back to the beginnings of human settlement when people came together to live in groups for practical and security reasons.

In African customs, very little distinction is made between ‘art’ and ‘craft’, as there is in western society. African craftsmen (or women) have always prided themselves on their innovative craft-work which is both useful and aesthetically pleasing (a concept which was also prominent in the Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th century).

One of the earliest forms of African art exists in the rock paintings of the Khoisan people of Namibia and South Africa, where the paintings of animals and people adorn the rocks in caves and mountains. These pictures record the events in the daily lives of the San – their hunting trips, their conflicts, their rituals and other incidents of their closely-knit society.

The greatest evidence of the arts and crafts tradition in African society, however, is to be found in village life – in the homes and everyday objects, where ‘art’ and ‘craft’ meet in a unified whole, where form and function meet the requirements of the definitions of both ‘art’ and ‘craft’.

For the purposes of this article, African arts and crafts will be looked at from the traditional arts and crafts perspective and then from the more contemporary style which exists today.

Traditional villages

In primitive villages all over Africa, dwellings usually consist of earthen huts with thatched roofs. The outer walls of these huts are embellished with simple patterns imprinted on them while the mud is still wet. Wealthier villagers and chiefs had wooden doors which could be intricately carved, depending on the rank or wealth of the individual.

In the northern part of South Africa, the Ndebele people are known for their ornate and strikingly decorated dwellings. Originally the walls of the huts were painted in geometric designs, using white, charcoal or earthen colours. Designs could also feature chevrons and diamond shapes. Doors and windows were outlined in contrasting colours.

Over the years the designs have become much more complex and colourful, with stylised flower and animal motifs, painted not only on the hut walls, but also on gateposts and outer perimeter walls. The designs and decorations are always done by women, whose traditional dress is as colourful and unique as the wall murals they resemble.

Interiors

In West Africa, carved wooden beds were reserved for chiefs and royalty. In Mali, the chiefs also had elaborately carved headrests, as it was thought that the chief’s head should not touch the ground. In Uganda, however, ordinary men would carry their headrests with them so that they could take a nap whenever they pleased. Headrests could be as simple as a triple-forked branch, or delicately carved and inlaid with ivory or gold-leaf. Wooden beds and headrests have, however, largely disappeared from contemporary rural life having been replaced by the ‘amacansi’ or sleeping mat, woven from grasses dyed different colours.

In African tradition, seating is very important and stools and chairs have great social significance. In Ghana a stool was thought to be the seat of its owner’s soul and, like the bed, the higher the rank of the individual, the more elaborately carved was the stool. Simple, articulated stools, consisting of three wooden pieces, were also popular and can still be found in remote areas.

Household utensils

Containers for fetching water, cooking or storing food can be made from clay, baskets or gourds. Clay pots are modelled by hand, using the coil method, then dried in the sun and finally ‘fired’ over an open fire. Often the surfaces of the pots are decorated with incised patterns and then polished.

Calabashes (gourds) come in different sizes and can be used in a multitude of ways, as spoons, ladles, drinking vessels, masks and even as musical instruments. They can be dyed with red ochre or sometimes they have scenes from everyday life scratched on the surface.

Baskets are used for storing seeds and grain and for gathering herbs and vegetables. They can be woven from grasses, vines, papyrus or reeds. Different colours can be incorporated using different fibres or even dying the grasses a different colour. Dyes are made from the roots and leaves of plants. When baskets are tightly woven, they can even be used to carry water.

Baskets are usually woven by women, although there are some very talented men weavers; it is a highly skilled and time-consuming craft, handed down from one generation to another. Each basket is unique and for ceremonial occasions such as a marriage, the basket used in the ceremony will have a beautiful, intricate design and be adorned with beads.

Ceremonial crafts

Masks used in ceremonial rites such as initiations and funerals are common in most parts of Africa. Most masks have a spiritual significance and are usually carved from wood, although they could also be made from metal. Occasionally the masks are embellished with hair, animal bones or feathers. Not everyone is allowed to wear a mask; they are normally reserved for chiefs or high-ranking members of the village. Women do not wear masks; it is primarily the preserve of men and the practical and spiritual meaning of mask-making is handed down from father to son.

Other ceremonial and weapons of war are the spear, staff, shield and knobkerrie – all of which have a traditional significance; the staffs, knobkerries and spear shafts are embellished with handsome carvings and the animal skin shields have designs painted on them.

Jewelery and personal adornment

For centuries the Zulu women of Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa, have been famous for their artistic and intricate beadwork. Simple strands of beads are worn as bracelets or anklets by unmarried girls, who send these to young men as a token of their love. The colour and placement of each bead on the string has a specific message. Beaded necklaces have a rectangular piece in front and are fastened round the neck with two beaded strands. The beadwork in the rectangular piece has a specific significance in the arrangement and colour of the beads and they spell out a message - these are what are known as the Zulu ‘love-letters’ and they are given by young maidens to the young men they love.

Other ethnic jewelery consists of beaded anklets, neck rings and earrings.

Contemporary African arts and crafts

Contemporary African arts and crafts have caught the attention of tourists and collectors from all over the world. Today, on the streets of all the major cities in Africa, there are hawkers selling their crafts. Popular items include all types of beadwork, baskets, carved wooden figures, wooden masks, wire toys and all manner of items made from discarded tins.

Baskets are now woven using coloured telephone wire – the designs are intricate and beautiful and the baskets have become real collectors’ items, but nevertheless they still retain their original, practical purpose.

Other items which appeal to tourists are the colourful Ndebele dolls in their traditional costumes, little beaded key-rings which come in all shapes and sizes, miniature masks, carved animals and little clay pots – the list of craft-ware on offer is endless.

African craftsmen are extremely innovative and use whatever item is at hand to turn it into something unique and saleable. The township toys are made from old discarded tins, scrap metal and other found objects and fashioned into cars, aeroplanes, windmills, houses and motorcycles have a quirkiness about them which has universal appeal and are snapped up by tourists and locals alike.

Other innovative items are the paintings, often using mixed media and done on board or canvas, which depict township life. These naïve paintings are referred to as ‘township’ art. Originally township art was inexpensive and not much appreciated but today this type of artwork can command respectable sums.

Throughout the centuries, African arts and crafts have relied on material which was easily obtainable and which could be adapted to the needs of the items being produced. Contemporary African arts and crafts producers are no different – they also use what is easily obtainable and on hand, multi-media items such as plastics, tins and found objects, to create their crafts. The materials used might have changed over the years, but what has not changed is the integrity of the designs and significance of the art and craft itself.

African arts and crafts are alive and well and living in Africa, and will be so for many years to come.