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Wayne RESA’s Cultural Collaborative for Learning

of 3 Introductory Lesson: Exploring Beauty

African Art and Personal Adornment Art Lesson: Jewelry

Detroit Institute of Arts5200 Woodward AvenueDetroit, MI 48202(313) 833-7900http://www.dia.org

Students will design a pendant inspired by African jewelry.

Objectives:

1. Students will be able to observe and identify examples of personal adornment in African art.

2. Students will be able to recall examples of how African jewelry relates to beauty, status, andwealth.

3. Students will be able to create objects for personal adornment.

MCF Curriculum Standards and Benchmarks

Fine Arts

ß ART.VA.2.MS.4 - Use subjects, themes, and symbols that communicate intended meaningin artworks.

ß ART.VA.3.MS.2 - Observe and compare works of art that were created for differentpurposes.

BEFORE THE VIDEO

Exploring African Jewelry

Materials:

ß [Jewelry Student Information Sheets Set #1: African Jewelry at the DIA].

ß These sheets feature African jewelry at the DIA with explanations of how they were made andworn.

ß [Jewelry Student Worksheet #1: Group Feedback Sheet]

Resources:

See the following publications for more examples of African jewelry and photographs of the jewelrybeing worn:

ß Blauer, Ettagale. African Elegance. New York: Rizzoli International Publications, 1999.

ß Fisher, Angela. Africa Adorned. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1984.

ß Garrard, Timothy F. Gold of Africa: Jewelry and Ornaments from Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali andSenegal. Munich: Prestel-Verla.

(Continued)

http://www.dia.org



Art Lesson: Jewelry (continued)Procedure

1. Divide the class into groups of 3-5 students.

2. Print, copy, and distribute 2-4 of the to each group.

3. Print, copy, and distribute 2-4 to eachgroup

4. Each group will collaboratively complete a Group Feedback Sheet for each assigned piece ofjewelry.

5. After the sheets are completed, each group will share their information with the class.

Assessment:

Did students accurately answer questions about jewelry and personal adornment?

DURING THE VIDEO

African Art and Personal Adornment

Setting a Purpose for Viewing the Program:

ß Encourage students to think about what they have learned about jewelry and personaladornment.

ß Students should particularly note the design, fabrication, and purposes of the African jewelrypresented in the program.

Discussion After Viewing:

ß After viewing, give students an opportunity to discuss what they learned about jewelry andpersonal adornment.

AFTER THE VIDEO

Design and Create a Pendant

Materials:

ß paper (plain or graph)

ß pencils

ß scissors

ß Wireform or cardboard

ß plaster wrap

ß bowl of warm water

ß paintbrush

ß tempera or acrylic paint

ß cord, chain, string, or yarn

ß newspaper

ß masking tape(Continued)

Jewelry Student Information Sheets Set #1: African Jewelry

Jewelry Student Worksheet #1: Group Feedback Sheets



Art Lesson: Jewelry (continued)Procedure:

1. Define and discuss: “pendant.” A pendant is a hanging ornament or piece of jewelry attached toa necklace or bracelet.

2. Determine the shape and size of your pendant.

3. Draw the shape on a piece of graph paper or plain.

4. Cut the shape with a pair of scissors.

5. Cut a piece of Wireform slightly larger than this shape made in the above step. (Wireform, acommercially available art material, is a meshed wire that can be stretched or cut with a pair ofscissors. Use cardboard if Wireform is not available.)

6. Lay the paper shape on top of the Wireform, then cut the Wireform with scissors.

7. Cover Wireform with masking tape. Leave a small opening near the top of the shape. (TheWireform may be formed into a three-dimensional shape.)

8. Cut the strips from a roll of plaster or rigid wrap to cover the Wireform or cardboard.

9. Dip the strips in warm water. Cover the entire taped Wireform or cardboard with plaster wrap bysmoothing with your fingertips. Let it stand and dry.

10. Use a paintbrush to add color and designs with tempera or acrylic paint. Let it dry.

11. Insert a cord, chain, string, or yarn into the opening and tie the two ends together. Wear itproudly as a necklace or bracelet!

12. Ask students to explain how their pendant relates to the examples of African jewelry that theysaw in the worksheets and during the broadcast.

Assessment:

ß Did students apply skills and knowledge to create a piece of jewelry?

ß Did students connect the characteristics of their own creations to the examples of Africanjewelry.

Lesson Designed by:Adrienne Douglas, Levy Middle School, Southfield Public Schools

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Page 1 of 1 Jewelry Student Worksheet #1 – Group Feedback Sheet

Jewelry Student Worksheet #1 <Back Group Feedback Sheet

Group Feedback Sheet

Names of group members:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Assignment: Answer the following questions for each piece of jewelry.1. What type of adornment is it? (bracelet, pendant, etc.)

2. What cultural group created it?

3. What materials were used?

4. Was it created for wealth, status, or beauty?


Page 1 of 6 Jewelry Student Information Sheets Set #1 – African Jewelry at the DIA

Jewelry Student Information Sheets Set #1 <Back African Jewelry at the DIA(Sheet 1 of 6)

©2000 Detroit Institute of Arts

Bead, 1800s to 1900sMande people, MaliGoldDIA 77.10

How was it worn?

This type of hollow bead, which is worn as a pendant by Mande women of Mali, is intended toenhance the beauty of its wearer and as a sign of wealth. The bead might have been worn on asimple chain or leather cord, or it might have been worn on a chain of other smaller and lesselaborate gold beads.

How was it made?

The surface on this bead was created by process called granulation. Granulation is an ancientdecorative process in which a metal object is decorated with the application of many tiny beads orgranules. To create the granules, small gold chips are heated until they melt and form tiny balls.After the granules have cooled, they are attached to the flat surface of the bead by fusing the twomaterials together with a hot torch.



Jewelry Student Information Sheets Set #1 African Jewelry at the DIA(Sheet 2 of 6)


Soul Washer’s Badge, 1900sAsante people, GhanaGoldDIA 1990.19

How was it worn?

This gold badge, made by the Asante people of Ghana, marked the wearer as a distinguishedmember of the court and someone who was close to the king. The disc was worn around the neckof a soul washer, a person who symbolically cleansed the spirit of the king or chief. The badgewas hung around the neck with a white cord, made of pineapple leaf fiber, which was attached tothe outer edges of the disc.

How was it made?

A metalsmithing process called repoussé (the French word for “push”) was used to created thispaper-thin gold disk. Repoussé gives form to a sheet of metal by pressing it out from the backand pressing it in from the front. Punching tools are used to create the design on the metal sheet,which is placed on a flat surface of tar or sand.





Soul Washer’s Badge, mid-1800sAsante people, GhanaGoldDIA 81.701

How was it worn?

This gold badge, made by the Asante people of Ghana, marked the wearer as a distinguishedmember of the court and someone who was close to the king. The disc was worn around the neckof a soul washer, a person who symbolically cleansed the spirit of the king or chief. The badgewas hung around the neck with a white cord, made of pineapple leaf fiber, which was attached tothe outer edges of the disc.

How was it made?

A metalsmithing process called repoussé (the French word for “push”) was used to created thispaper-thin gold disk. Repoussé gives form to a sheet of metal by pressing it out from the back andpressing it in from the front. Punching tools are used to create the design on the metal sheet,which is placed on a flat surface of tar or sand.



Jewelry Student Information Sheets Set #1African Jewelry at the DIA(Sheet 4 of 6)


Chief’s Finger Ring, 1900sAsante people, GhanaGoldDIA 78.16

How was it worn?

This chief’s finger ring is only one piece of special adornment that a king might own and wear.When a king wears this the type of ring it shows his political and social importance in the Asantenation. As part of a large display of gold possessions, the ring displays the king’s personal statusand provides protection from disagreeable forces. In addition to acting as currency, the gold isthought to safeguard the life of the king and his kingdom.

How was it made?

The technique used to create this object is known as the lost wax process. The metalsmithsexecuted this technique by creating an exact model of the final object from beeswax, which wasthen coated with clay. Once the clay dried, it was placed in a oven to melt away the wax. This lefta cavity into which molten gold was later poured. Finally the clay shell was broken away to revealthe finished casting.



Jewelry Student Information Sheets Set #1African Jewelry at the DIA(Sheet 5 of 6)


Pendant, 1700s to early 1800sAsante people, GhanaGoldDIA 76.26

How was it worn?This pendant might symbolize a defeated enemy of the Asante people. Such pendants were wornsuspended around the neck by long chains.

How was it made?The technique used to create this object is know as the lost wax process. The metalsmithsexecuted this technique by creating an exact model of the final object from beeswax, which wasthen coated with clay. Once the clay dried, it was placed in a oven to melt away the wax. This lefta cavity into which molten gold was later poured. Finally the clay shell was broken away to revealthe finished casting.





Earrings people, late 1900sFulani, MaliGold, thread, wireDIA 78.22

How was it worn?

These gold earrings were a symbol of wealth and prestige, but also had a practical function. AFulani woman of Mali used these earrings as a form of currency. When she wanted to make amajor purchase, she scraped a certain amount of gold off of one of her earrings. She could haveworn these earrings in three different ways: through the earlobe, over the ear or attached to aheadband.

How was it made?

This pair of earrings was made by a process called shallow forming. Shallow forming createscurves and domes in sheet metal. This process makes a piece look thicker because of thereflections produced on the curved shapes. First the crescent shape was cut from a flat sheet ofmetal. After the metal was heated, the piece was hammered with a mallet into the shape desiredby the artist. Several crescent shapes are then fused together.

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