The Ancient Land CHAD and its art forms

As old as several million years, find its existence since BC has always been place of interest during pre-historic time.

Do not get surprised…………………….. What I am offering today is a form of art which is very historic and in present 21^st century also, we find the smell of pre-history.

Today’s interesting topics are

• ·       Cave wall paintings
• ·       Clay pottery made without potters wheels
• ·       Basketry weave work
• ·       Stencil painting    

                 

   Chad Location and Origin

   

       Chad with its existing capital N’Djamena (Chari-Baguirmi), got its sovereignty from France in 1960, with its official language French, surrounded with 6 countries: Libya, Sudan, Niger, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Nigeria; enhances its beauty with Sahara dessert.

         Occupying huge land area of 1,284,000 square kilometer with very less population of 10,975,648; approx. density of 9 people per square kilometer.

     

"All water in Pre-history and All Sand now” is the right proverb to denote Chad.

               

        Art forms from Pre-historic Chad

   "A state  not developed but only shown existence, yet idiosyncratic”.

    12,000 to 9,000 to 4000 BC, witnesses here the existence of initial sense of aesthetics development of art forms.

         A belt of at Ennedi Mountains, sandstone plateau spread across 35,000 square Kilometers is rich    with rock art.

I            It dates back to 2000 and more recent to it. 

   All these rock art are the good devotion of aesthetics while using lines to make outer drawings and natural colours to fill it.

   The use of geometric lines to fill the space and the combinations of using the colours and the lines takes the drawing to appreciable world. 

    Motifs were all taken from surroundings and hence horses, hunting, dancing, merry making, celebrations, bulls, plants, horse riding, and cattle in human shelters. 

    The rock paintings, familiars to a way of depiction of images by a child, in the state of absence to enjoy and depict what they see around, shows the very initial and innocent stage of art forms, which are pure and pious. 

    And these such art forms we see at rock art. 

     Chad : Present Day art forms.      

    It   may be categorized in two categories.

         Functional Art: Baskets, clay pots, woven fans.

      Art for tourist: Art depicted in lifestyle products, greeting cards, post cards, paintings and jewelry and textile art.

   

    The Clay Pots:

    Pots! As we all know how it is made?

    A potter’s wheel, clay over it and the circular movement of wheel turns the clay to a pot. 

No, it’s different in Chad. Chadians make this exclusively with hand without using wheels and instead of using kiln, they burn it pieces of straw and wood put on fire. Later, they cover it with sand overnight. 

      Basket and woven Fans: 

        These are turned to beautiful shapes and coloured with pigment from plants, flowers and other natural dyes. Colours are usually, purple, and green.                                                            All these are made with straw. 

     Art for tourist: Art depicted in lifestyle products, greeting cards, post cards, paintings and jewelry and textile art.

    These art pieces are made as supplements by women stays at home and supports an extra hand of earnings. 

    

       Stencil painting made using X-Ray paper and are used to make stencils to develop beautiful paintings.

       An organization “Abeche” is devoted to develop cross stitch patterns of chad and animals familiar to all chadians. These cross stitches are placed very tight which is the beauty of the art. 

                         Chadian Literature: Folk Stories. 

   There are many folk stories prevailing at Chad.

     I picked some really interesting ones here.      

    The Sheep, the Goat and the Dog

       The sheep, the Goat and the dog wanted to travel to Sarh. A truck Arrived. The Sheep asks what the price of the trip is.  The driver wanted them to pay five hundred Francs each. So the Sheep gave him five hundred Francs. The Dog gave him a thousand Francs. The Goat asks to pay on arrival, and the driver accepts.

     And so the truck leaves. When, the truck arrived in the town of Sarh, the sheep jumped out of the truck and ran away. The Goat ran away as fast as he could without paying. Then the dog came to drive to ask for 500 francs he owes to him. Driver said, “Ask the goat for it”.

      This is why today, whenever a truck arrives in a village, the goat runs away, the dog runs after the truck, and sheep does not move, because he paid for the fair.

       Source: the book Contes du Tchad : Goundi Tome 2 

Courtesy: Chad Museum