![]() Strangely, the performance was also borderline burlesque and they represented the folksy aspect of the art and culture of Kerala. Until that day, I never imagined that massive bellied men could be remotely cute, but the Pulikali Tigers were definitely been awesome. Like most people, I was completely unaware of the festival, till a documentary filming assignment took me to Thrissur. The vibe of the festival is typically Kerala electric with energy and expectancy and a happy roar goes through the crowd as the Pulikali Tigermen dance their way into the drunken night. The effect is simply out of the world and the sight of rows of pot bellied dancing men with feline snouts painted proudly on their bumps is unforgettable. Held every year at the small temple town of Thrissur, Pulikali coincides with Kerala’s biggest festival Onam and it includes bodypainted male dancers jiggling their humongous bellies to the beat of drums. My first brush with the art and culture of Kerala was the Pulikali Tiger Dance and it was a bizarre, yet absolutely fantastic experience. There is nothing more intriguing than the Theyyam ritual.The larger than life art and culture of Kerala is incomplete without the iconic Kathakali dance.Vallamkali tops my fav list of the energetic art and culture of Kerala.5.2 What Are the Characteristics of African Art?.Ģ.1 Social and Religious Context: What Does African Art Symbolize?.1 Historical Context: The Cradle of Humankind.Historical Context: The Cradle of Humankind The Cradle of Humankind refers to an archaeological site in South Africa outside of the city of Johannesburg. What is significant about this site are the fossils and ancient tools found of early humans, also called hominins. Some of the famous sites in the Gauteng provincial area in South Africa include the Sterkfontein Caves, among many others. Various fossils were unearthed at the Sterkfontein Caves, importantly the skull of an early human that has been named “Mrs. The skull is estimated to be over two million years old, and while it was thought to be a woman at first, some scientists have speculated that it was a male. Ples”, discovered in South Africa Ditsong National Museum of Natural History, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons The original complete skull (without upper teeth and mandible) of a 2.1 million-year-old Australopithecus africanus specimen so-called “Mrs. The discovery in 1947 succeeded another important discovery in 1924, which was of another skull named the “Taung Child”. This was discovered by Raymond Dart in the North-Western town of Taung in South Africa. There was also a skeleton named “Little Foot” that was also found in a Sterkfontein cave. It is estimated to be over three million years old, verging on almost four million, making it one of the oldest complete skeletons of an ancient hominid. Professor Ron Clarke, who pieced together this ancient ancestor, identified “her” as an Australopithecus prometheus species. General view of Little Foot skeleton in its original position in Sterkfontein cave, November 2006 120 / V. Mourre, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commonsįossils of an earlier species of hominids were also discovered at the Rising Star Cave system, which is also part of the Cradle of Humankind sites. The species were named the Homo naledi, believed to have existed over 200,000 years ago. The prehistoric rock art of Africa is another discovery that gives us a peek at the rich world of ancient African art – we could also say these were the very first African “paintings” ever done. Suitable for an entire article on its own, rock art spans many locations in Africa. It was first created by the bushmen, the earliest indigenous inhabitants of Africa. They were known as the San people, a hunting-gathering culture.
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