<Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This section needs expansion . You can help by adding to it . (July 2018) </Td> </Tr> <P> The Traditional African religions had been influential in African art . The very nature of African art stem from their themes of religious symbolism, functionalism and utilitarianism . In the various Traditional African beliefs, Africans draw from their artistic traditions as sources of inspiration . "These images have religio - metaphysical themes, which serve as the focal point of power, which links the African's physical world to his beliefs on his essence and existence . Indeed the African art reflect images of ancestral spirits, and pantheons of indigenous gods and goddesses ." </P> <P> The origins of African art lie long before recorded history . African rock art in the Sahara in Niger preserves 6000 - year - old carvings . Along with sub-Saharan Africa, the western cultural arts, ancient Egyptian paintings and artifacts, and indigenous southern crafts also contributed greatly to African art . Often depicting the abundance of surrounding nature, the art was often abstract interpretations of animals, plant life, or natural designs and shapes . The Nubian Kingdom of Kush in modern Sudan was in close and often hostile contact with Egypt, and produced monumental sculpture mostly derivative of styles that did not lead to the north . In West Africa, the earliest known sculptures are from the Nok culture which thrived between 500 BC and 500 AD in modern Nigeria, with clay figures typically with elongated bodies and angular shapes . </P> <P> More complex methods of producing art were developed in sub-Saharan Africa around the 10th century, some of the most notable advancements include the bronzework of Igbo Ukwu and the terracottas and metalworks of Ile Ife Bronze and brass castings, often ornamented with ivory and precious stones, became highly prestigious in much of West Africa, sometimes being limited to the work of court artisans and identified with royalty, as with the Benin Bronzes . </P>

The earliest known form of african art is