Blackamoor (decorative arts)

Blackamoor is a type of decorative art that is inspired by people from Africa or other places with dark skin. It is often seen in the form of sculptures, vases or other decorative objects.

Imagine you are coloring a picture with different crayons, and you want to use a brown crayon to color someone's face who has dark skin. This person may have curly hair or other unique features that make them look different from other people you have seen on a regular basis.

Now, imagine an artist decided to make a sculpture or a painting of this person with brown skin, but instead of showing them as they are, they added extra decoration to make them look fancier. They added gold or bright colors to their clothes or hats, maybe jewelry or feathers. This is what blackamoor decorative art does.

Blackamoor is considered controversial by some because it can be seen as depicting people of color as exotic or inferior. It's important to think about how these art pieces portray people and whether they are perpetuating harmful stereotypes or celebrating diversity.