Medieval African Art
After the people who lived in Kush and Aksum (modern Ethiopia and Eretria) converted to Christianity, about 300 AD, they built stone churches and painted them with Christian images showing influences from Rome and Constantinople. At the same time, people just a little farther south (still in modern Ethiopia and Eretria) were carving stone stelae as grave markers in a much more African style.
Grave stele from Tiya (ca.1200 AD)
Along the coast, in East Africa, Islamic and Indian influence beginning about 1000 AD led people to create art in an Indian-Islamic-African style. Nevertheless local traditions also continued, with the Tiye grave stelae (in modern Ethiopia) dated about 1100-1400 AD.
San rock art
In south Africa, the San people painted rock art onto the walls of caves.
Twa rock painting, ca. 500 AD? (modern Zambia)
Further north in Zambia, people also continued to do painted rock art. This painting, probably done by Twa women, would have been used in coming of age ceremonies for girls.
Copper sculpture from West Africa
(Tada, Nigeria ca. 1300 AD).
Further north again, in West Africa, people molded ceramic and bronze and brass sculptures by about 700 AD, continuing until around 1500 AD.
Djenne figurine from West Africa (ca. 1450 AD)
After people began to trade regularly across the Sahara Desert, West African people again built cities and mosques at the end of the trade routes for gold and slaves, especially at Timbuktu (in modern Mali).
In Central Africa, the Luba Empire formed about 1300-1400 AD, and developed their own artistic styles.
For more information, check out
(click on the image to go to Amazon and buy the book)
Or check out this article on African art in the Encyclopedia Britannica (unfortunately there's not much on early African art though).
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