| Wildlife art is considered as one of man's earliest | | | | position compared to other people. With regard to |
| art forms because some of the carvings that | | | | other animals, the interpretation of what they |
| have been found in archeological sites predate | | | | depict can also depend on which tribe made the |
| written history. This art form inspires an | | | | sculpture. Interpretations of the same animal may |
| appreciation of the relationship between man and | | | | vary among tribes. |
| nature. However, wildlife art can depict other | | | | Multiplicity of meaning |
| things depending on which country or place the | | | | On how Africans view wildlife art, it can be |
| artwork comes from. An example of this is how | | | | concluded that this kind of art tends to carry a |
| Native Americans associated different traits with | | | | multiplicity of meanings that depends on which |
| different animals. Another example is what wildlife | | | | tribe made it or for what ritual it was used. This |
| art represents in Africa. | | | | fact has made it very difficult for Western |
| Wildlife art in African culture | | | | observers to understand this art form in Africa |
| One of the most common themes in African art | | | | given the numerous "permutations" of meaning |
| is that of a male with a weapon or an animal, | | | | that this art form may carry. |
| which is used to give honor to ancestors, because | | | | Wildlife art is one of the earliest art forms that |
| animal ownership in Africa connotes honor and | | | | man has created. Such an art form has been |
| power. Sculpting a horse together with the | | | | used by most cultures. However, different |
| likeness of an ancestor gives honor to that | | | | cultures interpret wildlife art differently from other |
| ancestor. This is because in African culture, | | | | cultures. This has led to a seemingly endless list of |
| ownership of a horse signifies power and wealth, | | | | symbolism that cultures assign on art that depict |
| as riding a horse "elevates" the rider to a higher | | | | animals. |