Miriam Makeba, also known as Mama Africa and the Empress of African song, was a popular South African singer who introduced authentic Xhosa and Zulu songs to western audiences. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1932, Miriam Makeba attracted the attention of Harry Belafonte who then assisted her travel to the United States to begin […]
Menen Asfaw was born to an Oromo family on April 3, 1891. She was crowned on November 2, 1930 when her husband, Tafari Makonnen became the Emperor of Ethiopia known as Haile Selassie. Empress Menen was known as a champion for education and an advocate for women’s issues in Ethiopia. She founded the Empress Menen […]
Ethiopia is one of the oldest nations in the world and the only African country to successfully resist the scramble for Africa by colonial powers. Ethiopia became a symbol of hope and strength for all people of African descent when Ethiopia had beaten back attempts at colonization by Italy. The famous battle of Adwa signified […]
Mali became a center for African scholarly history with the birth and success of the city of Timbuktu leading up to the colonization of Mali by the French. Even after colonization, some of the most influential and important pieces of African literature were produced in Mali. Malian writers covered topics on marriage (Mariage, on Copie […]
The first settlers in Timbuktu were the Kel Tamasheq tribes and the merchants of the Jenne tribes. The destruction of the Ghanaian empire by King Sosso caused a mass exodus of scholars to flood Timbuktu. Because of this, Timbuktu became known as the divine city- a place of knowledge, trade, and hospitality. The scholars of […]
The historic city of Timbuktu- currently located in the Republic of Mali at the edge of the Sahara Desert- was founded in the 11th century by the Imagharen Tuareg. The city was named after a woman named Tin Abutut- meaning “lady with the big navel” in Tuareg language. This famous African woman would hold the […]
Pictured above is a pair of spirally twisted gold armlets with one duck-head terminal preserved and is said to be from Memphis, Egypt and is likely dated around 100-200 A.D. Memphis was once a capital of Egypt and houses the great temple of Ptah, god of creation. The city’s original name in Medu Neter (Egyptian […]
We love the jewelry collection of Princess Sithathoryunet of Egypt’s 12th Dynasty! Pictured (from top to bottom) are a broad bracelet, lion bracelet and an anklet all made of gold, carnelian and turquoise. The bar of the broad bracelet contains the name of Amenemhat III, one of the Pharaohs who ruled during the 12th dynasty. […]
This necklace with pectoral from Princess Sithathoryunet, 12th Dynasty Egypt is made from gold, carnelian, lapis lazuli, turquoise, feldspar and garnet. The beauty of this necklace lies in its intricate meaning. The two falcons have sun disks on their heads, which in turn have royal cobras with their tails holding ankhs (representing life). The cobras’ […]
Princess Sithathoryunet, daughter of Khakeperre Senruset II, the 4th Pharaoh of the 12th Dynasty who ruled over Egypt from 1897 to 1878 B.C. had lots of jewelry in her tomb including the above pictured lion bracelet and claw anklet. The bracelet and anklet are dated around 1887-1813 B.C. during the reigns of Senwosret II and […]
