The Purpose of Sexuality in African Carvings

The Purpose of Sexuality in African Carvings

Unlike sexuality in western carvings where sexual orientation goes beyond heterosexuality, in African art sexuality was limited to heterosexuality. A critical analysis of African carvings demonstrate that apart from expressing the society’s perception of sexuality, deities were also assigned sex in most instances incorporating both male and female organs. This does not imply that sexuality in African art has also experienced the sexuality debates like western art. Intersex carvings are an important observation in African art, and this demonstrates the role played by the supernatural in African beliefs as pertaining sexuality. Sexuality in African carvings demonstrates the spirituality of sex and the fact that sex is believed to be of significant importance in worship.

Sex transcends the mere act of copulation, but is used to indicate that there is a deep connection between sex, worship, and African traditional beliefs. In essence, sexuality in African carvings is used more for the purpose of deification rather than to demonstrate human eroticism. Sex was considered sacred among most African traditional communities, and to talk about sex let alone incorporate sex in carvings was considered a taboo (Marshall Cavendish Corporation 79). It was only when such carvings were intended to glory some deity that sex was freely used in carvings in African communities. It is for this reason that most carvings that depicted sexuality were exaggerated in terms of the size. This was to create a distinction between the sexuality of ordinary people and the sexuality of the supernatural (Marshall Cavendish Corporation 79). The paper will look at how sexuality was used in African carvings to bring in...

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...ved with a phallic protrusion on its head to indicate virility and power. The purpose was principally psychological to make an individual feel protected.

From the discussion, one realizes that sexuality in African carvings was primarily meant to give reverence to god other than just depicting human sexuality. Therefore, sexuality debates in western societies should not be used when analyzing sexuality in African carvings.

Works Cited

Avant, Rodney. A Mythological Reference. Bloomington, IN: Author House, 2005. Print.

Irele, Abiola and Biodun Jeyifo. African Thought. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2010. Print.

Marshall Cavendish Corporation. Sex and Society. New York, NY: Marshall Cavendish Corporation , 2010. Print.

Valsiner, Jaan. Comparative Study of Human Cultural Development. Madrid: Foundacion Infancia Y Aprendizaje, 2001. Print.