Intersection of African and European Cultures: Sapi-Portugese Saltcellar
Over the course of recent history, debates have arisen surrounding the canon of art history, “The term ‘canon’ or ‘canonisation’ expresses a process in which specific aspects of culture are established as crucial, of the utmost importance or exemplary.” What defines the requirements for becoming canonical however is something fraught and the topic of fierce debate. The debates have ranged from who decided what constitutes this canon to why the canonisation of artwork is crucial for art history as a discipline and also why no new artworks can be added to said canon without satisfying particular requirements. Many scholars believe the idea of the canon in the 21st century seems redundant and not inclusive, prompting academic arguments and extensive research that has attempted to neutralise the topic. With using a Sapi-Portuguese lidded saltcellar as a case study this essay will explore the idea of the art historical canon and the reasons as to why it should be flexible enough to include other works produced outside of the European-dominated art canon.
In simplistic terms, the art canon is “works of art and architecture deemed to be “canonical”, typically due to their broad influence, display in prominent museum collections, and extensive scholarship.” The canon of art history as defined by the National Gallery is “The conventional timeline of artists who are sometimes considered as ‘Old Masters’ or ‘Great Artists’. Today’s art history attempts to question these rules of ‘greatness’, considering issues of gender, race, class, and geography among others.” The canon serves to be predominately from central Europe, and many prolific works created that exist outside of this geographical constraint have been excluded. Historically speaking “The idea became a central focus of western artistic production during the 18th and 19th centuries, when academic institutions, the centre of power and influence in the art world, used rigid and hierarchical models to develop an “academic style” which valued, in form, a stoic realism and, in content, neoclassical themes.” This whitewashed euro-centric canon is considered highly problematic and has been debated at length by many scholars and academics in recent years. The term itself is shrouded in controversy; with good reason. The canon exists in a static state; it itself will not change and allow new works to be deemed canonical. This lack of elasticity of what the canon is to include or not include has caused many debates about inclusivity in the art world. In recent times the art historical canon has come into question by many academics, with claims of the term being rooted in colonialism and classism. James Elkins, a figure who has produced a wealth of literature on the canon presents key debates for and against the idea that art history is or could become a single enterprise throughout the world. Essentially Elkins proposes that artwork that didn’t commit to the rules of the great masters will find itself outside of the cannon, furthermore, art historical analysis as an academic discipline finds itself primarily studied in Europe and Northern America ergo it would seem illogical to move the canon away from these regions and include other artworks on grounds of inclusivity.
The selected artwork in question that I believe should be included in the canon is a Sapi-Portuguese lidded saltcellar that belongs to the permanent collection at the Met in New York. It is part of a group of artefacts that were created during some of the earliest periods of exchange between Western Africa and Europe, when “Africans along the continent's west coast first encountered Portuguese traders in the mid-fifteenth century. This marked the beginning of regular contact and trade, and the principal interest of the Europeans was the purchase of carved ivory items.” It is noted that “objects of this type were perhaps the first known examples of 'tourist art' from Africa: luxury items made as souvenirs for foreigners.” At the time of production salt was a rare commodity and its preciousness made it very costly. The saltcellar served as a symbol of wealth, and “would have been taken back to Portugal to be displayed in curiosity cabinets.” The objects are technically called ‘Sapi-Portuguese' artefacts, a collective group of art objects produced by African artists made with the introduction of Portuguese traded ivory. The artefacts themselves show the intersection of Euro-centric artistic mediums with the West African art trade. They serve as a historical reminder of the Portuguese influence on African artwork.
The saltcellar contains both European and African influences in its production. Folklore suggests that the West African artists were shown European examples of saltcellars to base their own creations off and the result that ensued was a marriage of both cultures. Visually the vessel pertains to elements that are European in production, evident through the acorn sitting atop of the vessel’s lid which is nestled in a bud of a rose, this is an obvious allusion to euro-centric sensibilities and the European salt cellars being produced at the same time. On the other hand, the vessel also contains an undeniable West African influence, evident through the four figurines at the base of the salt cellar, two being presumably African warriors carrying spears and shields, the others women dressed in traditional garments. The saltcellar also pertains to four snakes wrapped around the centre of the vessel extending down toward four dogs. The snakes represent the spiritualistic cultural influences of the Western African carvers who produced it, this cosmological imagery is highly symbolic; in African religion “The veneration of the ancestors revolves around family totems. Among the symbols of fertility and strength is the snake.” When examined on closer inspection the four dogs appear to be growling at the snakes; perhaps inferring the cultural struggle between the West African carvers and the Portuguese colonisers occupying what is now known as modern-day Sierra Leone.
There are a plethora of reasons as to why the lidded saltcellar should be included in the art canon, fore-mostly the artwork serves as a visceral reminder of the intersection of African and European cultures and the influence of colonial powers in play at the time of production of particular artworks. One may argue this is an early cultural relic of the direct impact of globalisation and how it has permeated society today with the merging and interrelation of differing cultures. The inclusion of the artwork into the canon promotes inclusivity and diversity to the majorly Eurocentric art canon. Christina Clarke argues that “The appreciation of African art in the Western world has had an enormous impact not only on the development of modern art in Europe and the United States but also on the way African art is presented in a Western museum setting.” Ergo with this object's inclusion into the canon, the promotion of African art will be enhanced and take on a new appreciation globally in the art historical academic field, postulating a movement already in motion. Furthermore, the object promotes the continuity and dynamism of African art potential, from the past to the present and beyond. The artwork serves to be highly influential and pivotal to studies of the interaction of West African and European cultures from the fourteenth century onward. Ergo due to its broad influence and historical significance, it falls under the canonical and should be included in the art canon.
Conclusively through the arguments presented in this paper, it is almost self-explanatory to include the Sapi-Portuguese saltcellar into the art canon. It is a highly influential work and cultural relic that exemplifies the emergence of interaction between West Africa and Europe in the fourteenth century and beyond. The collection of lidded saltcellars made in that period is exhibited in many museums around the world, they can be seen as the starting point of trade and the flow of information and ideas. Irrespective of debates surrounding the canon, personally I believe it is imperative to include artworks that are influential in their own way, even if this may fall outside of generalised definitions of what is to be considered canonical.
