Compare the significance, ritual use, or cultural function or purpose - Essay Example

Ijele and Nkisi Ijele is masquerade of the Igbo ppeple or communities in Anambra Nigeria. The significance of injele is that it honors the dead, and also ensures continuity of the community. Nkisi, on the other hand is a striking sculpture by the Congolese people. Its significance is that it acts as a container of spiritual forces intended to investigate the primary grounds of a given chronic problem. Both Ijele and Nkisi are similar in that they serve spiritual purposes whereby ijele marks solemn and festive occasions while nkisi contains spiritual forces.

However, the two are also different from the structure, in which ijele is huge with a diameter of 183 cm and height of 366 cm, and also it is colorful and a form of entertainment. In contrast, nkisi is rather small, scary and represents gloom as opposed to entertainment. In addition, nkisi comes in different physical appearance and is curved in the shape of a human being while ijele has only one physical structure or design. Nkisi (http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1979.206.127)Ijele (http://heatherw.

com/other/gallery/v/travel/florida/disney/week2007/resorts/akl/IMG_5323.jpg.html)Stupa and IwanStupa is a Buddhist monument in the form of a hemispherical structure used by Buddhist as a place of meditation. Stupa is used ritually by the Buddhist to represent the five elements of life, earth, air, water, fire and space (Mitra 102). Therefore, they are used to honor living, and also a symbol of enlightenment. Iwan is also a monument like Stupa, but it is Persian and the only remaining ancient structure of Ctesiphon located near the town of Salman Pak, Iraq.

Iwan is the largest built arch found in the modern world, and it is only one, but Stupa are built in many places, particular where Buddists dwell and differ in sizes and sometimes design. Work CitedMitra, D. Buddhist Monuments. Sahitya Samsad: Calcutta, 1971. Print.