Unlike spoken language, writing and graphic systems are dynamic, imaginative means for communicating ideas visually. Works of art---ffective vehicles in their own right for conveying meaning--gain visual and communicative strength when they include writing or graphic symbols. Moreover, inscription itself is a powerful, creative act.

In different African social, political and cultural contexts, works of art often incorporate scripts as one way to express how power is accrued through the acquisition of specialized knowledge and skills, such as healing with herbal medicines, communicating with the spirit world and writing. This in turn is frequently linked to the potential for social, political and economic gain and to assertions of legitimacy and control. Over the centuries, Africans have developed their own writing systems or adapted existing scripts to document and represent their cultures and histories.

In creating works of art that serve those who guard and exercise power, such as warriors, leaders and members of religious or political associations, artists rely on the symbolic significance of specific materials, images, performance contexts and, at times, inscriptions to imbue objects with greater efficacy and visual potency.