African Tribal Body Art:
How To Make An Impact!

Can you imagine yourself with African tribal body art? You'd definitely stand out! In fact, people have used some form of ritual body art since the dawn of mankind to distinguish themselves.

Though they may not have had a wealth of material possessions, they didn't need it to adorn themselves for aesthetic and symbolic effect. They just used the plentiful and free natural resources of the land.

At first glance, each tribe or ethnic group seems to have a unique and exotic style. Further investigation reveals that indigenous people are even more remarkable for their stunning similarities.

What they all have in common is ritual body decoration and a strong determination to maintain their cultural identity.

Symbolism Is Paramount

Symbolism in African tribal body art is a highly important facet of this art form. Tribal art tattoos are used on the human body as a way to express an individual's status, spiritual beliefs, or ethnic affiliation.

Sometimes body art can have protective symbolism, created to help a person during dangerous life changes such as movement from childhood to adulthood. African tribal art designs are created on the body itself in the form of:

1. tattoos
2. scarification
3. body painting
4. coiffures

Body art can also be produced to wear on the body in the form of garments or jewelry. African body art transforms the wearer into an object shaped by movement, color, patterns, textures and designs.

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Cosmetology Of Courtship And Marriage

For centuries, African tribal body art has been used to attract the opposite sex and to offer clues about marital status. Possibly no one clings as tightly to these traditions and rituals as the resplendent tribes of Africa.

The arid landscape of the savanna and desert doesn't often bring to mind lively body decoration, yet African tribes have incorporated many style elements into their glorious cosmetology. Click on any of our interesting links for more.

Appeasing The Spirits And Mourning The Dead

African art works represent a whole, a fundamental agreement between religious thought and the object charged with expressing or serving it. Art from Africa, highly decorative and functional, is perfectly crafted to placate the spirits of their ancestors.

Today many Africans embrace a variety of traditional forms of body adornment, creating a sumptuous visual display and turning each decorated person into a unique work of art. I invite you to click on the "Art For Sale" button on the menu to purchase your own African art.

Allow your enthusiasm for African art take you on a magical journey throughout this site. Let the artist reveal themselves in their art, the sculptors in their sculptures, the artisan in their artistry, whether it's masks, statues, figurines or tribal art books. Experience the joy and awe of the creators revealing the mystery of their ancestry.

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