Abstract
The rich cultural diversity of Africa is clearly visible in the wide range of house decorations, of architectural styles and of settlement and enclosure shapes. Unity within this diversity appears in the importance of the artistic and geometrical exploration of symmetrical forms and patterns. Shapes and decorations are not static: they may vary with the seasons, mark changes in the family composition or be chosen for special ceremonies. Some traditional African architectural ideas may have been derived from or suggested by experience and knowledge in other cultural spheres, ranging from basketry to wall decoration. Decoration of walls was widespread in cultures such as the Ngongo in central Congo/Zaire, and in Lesotho and neighboring zones of South Africa. Symmetry of pattern and color is a basic feature of the such patterns.
First published as: Paulus Gerdes , “On Some Geometrical and Architectural Ideas from African Art and Craft”, pp. 75–86 in Nexus II: Architecture and Mathematics, ed. Kim Williams, Fucecchio (Florence): Edizioni dell Erba, 1998.
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Acknowledgments
The chapter was written during sabbatical leave at the University of Georgia, Athens. USA. The author thanks the Research Department of the Swedish International Development Agency for the financial support to MERP.
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Gerdes, P. (2015). On Some Geometrical and Architectural Ideas from African Art and Craft. In: Williams, K., Ostwald, M. (eds) Architecture and Mathematics from Antiquity to the Future. Birkhäuser, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-00137-1_24
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