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Example Questions
Example Question #749 : Ap Art History
In the African sculptural tradition, what is the purpose of scarification?
Mimics the African tribes' system of identification
A means to tell stories
Purely decorative in nature
As a religious symbol
Mimics the African tribes' system of identification
Scarification refers to the process of scarring the skin in patterns by cutting it with a knife. After the cut heals, a raised image is created, and these images are painted. In African sculpture, scarification appears on figures to imitate the system used to differentiate between different tribes.
Example Question #1 : African Sculpture
Aesthetically speaking, what characteristics most consistently attribute themselves to the majority of the body of work comprising the ancient Egyptian figure?
Desert aesthetics and representations of the lower classes
Rigidity of pose and contradictory perspectives on the human figure
Contrapossto figures sculpted in the naturalist style
Monolithic monument construction depicting the pharaoh's divine figure
Rigidity of pose and contradictory perspectives on the human figure
Rigidity of pose and contradictory perspectives on the human figure are consistent features of most Egyptian, and ancient, figure representation throughout all Egyptian Kingdoms and Dynasties. Contrapossto figures, while present, are likely the result of the influence of foreign artisans and conquerors. Desert aesthetics were matched by depictions of the oasis created by the Holy Nile, and representations of the lower classes were secondary to that of ruling classes. Monolithic constructions, though often the most famous of Egyptian art, namely the pyramids, cannot be said to characterize the totality of Egyptian art, which represents centuries of diverse arrays of styles, mediums, and materials. This question helps students to differentiate between what is a common trope across a civilization's art history versus what pop culture associates with it, or with periods within it. Most importantly, the question focuses specifically on the Egyptian figure. Though the Great Pyramids and Egyptian art are synonymous, the student must focus on what specifically is being asked by the question.
Example Question #156 : Sculpture
Which of the following is generally true about African sculpture?
Realist depictions are rare, with the head in particular being oversized
Historically, the most prized skill has been the exact recreation of human features without flattery
Depictions of human beings and animals were banned for religious reasons
Statues were typically larger than life size to emphasize the subject's grandeur
Realist depictions are rare, with the head in particular being oversized
Most African sculpture fits a tribal religious background, often depicting subjects that embody ancestors, spirits, or gods. Carved out of wood and stone, the statues were generally small enough to be relatively portable. These statues were usually human figures, but somewhat distorted in certain body parts, especially in the head and sexual characteristics.
Example Question #2 : Sculpture Beyond European Artistic Traditions
In Yoruba art, the most important body part portrayed in statuary is the __________.
head
heart
arm
hand
head
The Yoruba culture of Southern Africa is one of the key artistic hubs of the region, and produces remarkable works in sculpture, jewelry, and masks. One chief feature is the usual focus on the head, which the Yoruba traditionally believe is the home of the entirety of the person. This belief is best reflected in Yoruba busts, which do not even feature necks or shoulders, only the head itself.
Example Question #3 : Sculpture Beyond European Artistic Traditions
Traditional African masks typically portray all of the following EXCEPT __________.
local animals
the actors under the masks
ancestors
spirits of the earth
the actors under the masks
African masks are one of the chief examples of sub-Saharan artwork and are traditionally used in various African religious ceremonies. These ceremonies reflect traditional religious beliefs, which are usually based on spirit animism and ancestor worship; therefore, it is thought that the masks often allow the actors to take on something more powerful than themselves, including animals, ancestors, and various kinds of spirits.
Example Question #1 : Sculpture Beyond European Artistic Traditions
All of the following statements are true, in general, of the masquerade arts in Africa except _____________.
a mask, combined with held objects, music, and dance gestures, invokes a specific named spirit character who is enacted a part of strongly ritualized dramas
most African masks serve, among many other purposes, to crystallize varieties of human behavior-- caricatured, ordinary, amusing, bizarre, serious, etc
for many groups in West and Central Africa, masking plays an active role in the socialization process, especially for men, who control most masking on the continent
African masks rarely had any governmental purpose and served only as decorative objects, interesting as visual art pieces
especially before the advent of colonial rule, African masking societies boasted extensive regulatory and judicial powers
African masks rarely had any governmental purpose and served only as decorative objects, interesting as visual art pieces
African masquerade arts have been crucially important, particularly before the advent of colonialism. They function to serve many of the societies' governmental methods, and they serve to express cultural, dramatic, and artistic purposes.
Example Question #5 : Sculpture Beyond European Artistic Traditions
Polytheism is a basic consistency in Egyptian art and architecture. What Egyptian pharaoh changed the official state religion to a monotheistic one, spawning a 17 year anomaly of art dedicated to Aten, the sole deity in ancient Egypt?
Memisabu
Tutankhamun
Amenhotep/Akhenaton
Khnumnakht
Amenhotep/Akhenaton
During his 17 year reign, Amenhotep IV forbade the worship of any god with the exception of Aten, the power light embodied by the sun disk. This brief period represents a radical departure from what typically comprised Egyptian religion, which was a consistent cornerstone of ancient Egyptian art. An example of this is "Akhenaton Presenting a Duck to Aten."
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