The tree and sunset motif

The long shadow of Roman imperialism on representations of Africa

Bibliographic Data

ID9364643
AuthorsLiv Mariah Yarrow (Brooklyn College, corresponding author)
Year2018
Publication date2018-03-10
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueClassical Receptions Journal (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1759-5134 • E-ISSN: 1759-5142
PublisherOxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1093/crj/cly004
OpenAlexW2796019323
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited56

This article uses numismatic iconography to trace the origins of the tree and sunset motif in representations of Africa in contemporary European and American graphic design. The first section surveys numismatic art on coins, tokens, and medals related to the abolitionist movements and European and American colonialism. The second section investigates the Roman coin types which inspired these designs. I argue that the tree symbolizes the distance between Europe and Africa, not only a geographical distance, but also a cultural divide. The tree derives from Roman images of conquest, whereas the sunset was introduced in the early nineteenth century to represent the western ‘gift’ of civilization

Aesthetics · Ancient history · Art · Astronomy · Combinatorics · Geography · Motif (music · Physics · Shadow (psychology · Sunset · Tree (set theory · Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History · Classical Antiquity Studies · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies · History · Mathematics · Psychology

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