1. Ancient Nigerian art

Yesterday I posted an extract from Teju Cole's book Every Day Is for the Thief. In that passage he mentioned "Ife bronzes, the fine Benin brass plaques and figures, Nok terra-cottas, the roped vessels of Igbo-Ukwu." Today I share a few of those creations.

Here's an Ife bronze head (12th–13th c.):

A Benin bronze plaque (ca. 1400?) and head (ca. 1550–1680):

Nok terracotta (date unclear, but maybe 500 BCE–200 CE):

And an Igbo-Ukwu roped vessel (9th–10th c.):

Also, because I found a thorough discussion of Igbo art (with many examples) and liked these artifacts as well:

A leopard riding a shell (in bronze)

A mask worn in purification
performances at funerals

Bronze pendant found at a gravesite

These are so beautiful. And so ancient. 

In his book, Cole talks about the general lack of awareness that present-day Nigerians have of their history, their past—of which these relics are a testament. Maybe that's true of all humans. We live in the moment, the now. We can't even envision, and plan for, much less create, a future more than a year or two out. We sure don't seem to care about the lessons of the past—as they apply to all of us humans, communally, anyway. (There seem to be no shortage of us-versus-the rest of you lessons that people cling to.) We are such silly beings.  But we are capable of beauty. I guess that's something.

N.B. I retroactively numbered this post 1: because yes, I think I'm going to give another 100 or 365 or some damn number of consecutive daily posts a go. It keeps me paying attention and learning and thinking. What the hell. I'm the only one who cares. Let's do it!