Lesson One
Beauty and the Ashanti, Part One. (Two days)
Objectives
|
1.
|
To sharpen observation skills;
|
|
2.
|
To discover Ashanti notions of female beauty;
|
|
3.
|
To understand symbolic meanings in Ashanti art;
|
|
4.
|
To learn about artistic skills necessary to create Ashanti art.
|
Methods
|
1.
|
Show slides provided with teaching unit;
|
|
2.
|
Use handout (see Appendix A below), “Ashanti Beauty-Shapes and Their Significance,” to aid in student art project.
|
Procedures
Tell students they will be seeing examples of art made by the Ashanti, a West African people who live in Ghana. The modern nation of Ghana is named after the ancient Kingdom, Ghana, famous for its gold and its cities such as Timbuktu. The slides represent different ways the Ashanti express themselves and reveal important ideas and attitudes as well as artistic skills.
Slide 1.
(Akuaba figure, 1) This figure is important to Ashanti women. It is approximately 13 inches high and made of wood, stained black. This is a fertility figure which Ashanti women carry with them while they are pregnant. What human features are missing? (Hands, feet, ears, hair)
Slide 2.
Akuaba figure, 2) How is this Akuaba different from the first? (Jewelry, eyebrow and eyeshape, etc.) How is it similar? (Long neck, head shape, body in shape of a cross, etc.) Does one seem more “friendly” to you? Which would appear more to a child? Why? Children sometimes play with these figures and mothers use the dolls to instruct young daughters in child care.
Slide 3.
(2 Akuabas) This slide shows two Akuabas; the taller one is turned so that we can see what the reverse side of an Akuaba looks like. The oval or egg shape is the ideal female shape to the Ashanti. It is only one of many shapes drawn or carved on Akuabas. What other shapes do you see? (See lesson conclusion for further discussion on this subject.)
Slide 4.
(Akuaba figure) What is missing from this figure? (Arms) How does it compare to others? (Very sad expression, un-polished, only a few rings around neck, etc.) What feelings do you have about this figure compared to other figures?
Slide 5.
(3 Akuaba figures) One of these figures is a genuine Akuaba, the other two are “imposters.” Can you tell which is the real one? (The one on the right with a cross-shaped body) Give reasons why the others are only “look-alikes.” (One has hands and feet and a human-like body; the other has a pair of snake-like ornaments attached to the head and a cone-shaped body, etc.) What is the artist trying to express in creating these stylized figures?
Slide 6.
(Graphic Akuaba design) Describe what you see in this slide (4 figures; 2 frontal, 2 back views; 2 are upside down; 1 is black, 3 are white, etc.) What does this design remind you of? (An Akuaba) What uses could this design have? (Cloth, pictures, pottery)
Slide 7.
(Comb, Akuaba design) This is a stylized Akuaba. What has the artist added? (Hands, arms, facial expression) How would a woman use this article? (Hair decoration) Would she want people to notice it? (Yes, it’s large, about 6 inches long) Is it something you or your sister might like to wear? Why?
Slide 8.
(Comb, Akuaba design) This is another stylized Akuaba made into a comb. How is it different from the first one? (Triangle-shape head and head decoration, no arms or legs, straight nose, no mouth) Is this something you or your sister would wear? Why?
Slide 9.
(Young women) This is a picture of six girls, all with different hair styles. They are participants in a beauty contest. Which hair styles took the longest to prepare? Which ones seem the most unusual? Which ones would you expect to see at a high school prom? What do hair styles tell us about individual styles of beauty in the Ashanti culture? (There is a great deal of individuality.) Notice the way in which the girls are dressed and the different patterns in these simple, elegant gowns.
Slide 10.
(Standing pregnant female figure) This is not an Akuaba. How do we know? What Akuaba influences are represented here? (Oval head, long neck, straight nose) This woman is depicted as pregnant; the artist is portraying her as beautiful. What does this figure tell us about Ashanti beauty in women? What styles (hair and jewelry), physical features (long neck, etc.), and qualities (serenity and determination) of female beauty are represented in this figure.?
At the end of the discussion, the teacher shows a picture of a Barbie doll and an Afro-American baby doll to emphasize different aspects of beauty in our own culture.
At the conclusion of the discussion of comparative beauty standards (a list could be made on the chalkboard), the teacher reminds students that the Ashanti use geometric shapes to express symbolic meanings in their art. Using the handout (see Appendix A), “Ashanti Beauty—Shapes and Their Significance,” the students discover what different shapes mean in Ashanti.
As the students observe an Akuaba figure (slide or hand drawn figure), the teacher asks to point out shapes and tell what meanings they have. Students should take notes.
The homework assignment is to pencil-sketch symbols for a personal crest that represent important aspirations, goals or beliefs. Students will work on and discuss their crest designs in class the following day. The finished products may be displayed in the classroom, as “Ashanti-American” artifacts.
Lesson Two
Beauty and the Ashanti Culture, Part Two. (Two days)
Objectives
|
1.
|
To reinforce students awareness of Ashanti standards of beauty;
|
|
2.
|
To compare Ashanti standards with students’ own ideas of beauty;
|
|
3.
|
To discover what Ashanti qualities of “inner beauty” are.
|
Methods
|
1.
|
To show slides of objects considered beautiful by the Ashanti;
|
|
2.
|
To read over examples of Ashanti proverbs that speak of Ashanti character (Appendix B);
|
|
3.
|
To create stories based on Ashanti proverbs.
|
Procedures
Remind students that standards of beauty vary from culture to culture. Review what we’ve learned about female beauty among the Ashanti. Ask, “what other kinds of beauty are there besides physical beauty?” (Natural beauty, inner beauty of character) This lesson looks at two aspects of Ashanti beauty: (1)
Extrinsic,
created by Ashanti artists; (2)
Intrinsic,
qualities created from within. Among the Ashanti, highly admired leadership qualities often result in extrinsic rewards, e.g., gifts of cloth and jewelry.
Remind students that colors have symbolic meaning also. Gold, for glory and prosperity; white, for virtue and purity; green for the earth; blue, for the sky.
Slide 11.
(Gold beads) The Ashanti are master craftsmen in gold. Describe the shapes. (round, oval) Notice the detail in the carving. Would this necklace be expensive? Why? (It is gold; it took a long time to make; it is beautiful.)
Slide 12.
(2 Gold necklaces) Notice how different these are form the first string of beads. How are they similar to one another? (Size, gold disk in each string) What do the shapes remind you of? (Charms on a charm bracelet) What could the shapes symbolize to the Ashanti? (Heroism, success, etc.)
Slide 13.
(2 Gold disks) Notice the intricate designs on these two medallions, worn as symbols of Ashanti authority by elders, priests and rulers. Which took longer to make? Which is more decorative? Describe each one.
Slide 14.
(Ashanti cloths) The Ashanti are famous for their cloth designs. These cloths are made from cotton and silk. Can you tell which is which? They are made on hand looms by the Ashanti men. Some designs are family designs, some are strictly for chiefs and rulers. Some cloth is for special occasions, such as weddings and feast days. Which patterns and colors do you like?
Slides 15, 16, 17.
(Ashanti chiefs and cloths) What is different about these chiefs? (They are wearing different color robes, their ages, the cloth behind them.) What is similar? (All wearing crowns, sandals, jewelry, armbands; all are seated; all have rugs under their feet, etc.) From viewing these picture, how important are beautiful objects (jewelry, cloth) to the Ashanti?
Next, the students look at qualities of inner beauty. The teacher hands out a prepared list of proverbs to the students (see Appendix B) for discussion. Out of the discussion we learn that the Ashanti value reputation, God, virtue and faithfulness in marriage.
The homework assignment is to create a short story or dialogue, using one Ashanti proverb as the central theme. Students outline their ideas at home, then complete them in class, working in small groups. Each group will pick one or more to read to the rest of the class, which will have to guess which proverb is being illustrated.
Another activity for this lesson is to role-play a baby-naming ritual. Students decide which names to give the baby, using information handed to them by the teacher (see Appendix below). This activity stresses the importance of individual names, and illustrate the Ashanti proverb, “Man came to seek a name and nothing more.” Names given to Ashanti babies (and later nicknames) are supposed to help them build good character qualities. As part of this exercise students can research the meanings of their own given names.
