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Decorated Pot from North Ika
A monochrome photograph depicting a large, globular vessel with a wide, circular rim. The body of the pot features a dense pattern of closely spaced, diagonal parallel ridges. Three high-relief anthropomorphic figures in squatting or seated positions are attached to the upper exterior edge just below the rim. Two low-relief zoomorphic figures, resembling lizards, are applied to the shoulder of the vessel. Human hands are partially visible at the top of the frame, gripping the rim, and a bare human …
Ogbugulu Mau Masquerade, Amuda Village
Black-and-white photograph of the Ogbugulu Mau (Ghost) masquerade performed in Amuda village, near Awka, Onitsha Province, South Eastern Nigeria. The image shows four masqueraders and their attendant. From left, Iro Ekpetu (Merciless) wears a black fierce face mask with white painted eyes and protruding teeth, cloth top and tights, and a raffia skirt. Eju Ono (Long Mouth) wears an animal-like mask painted black with white markings and horns, cloth top and tights, and a raffia skirt, holding two sticks. A …
Pot believed to hold the personal spirit (chi)
This decorated pot, known as Ihu Chi, from Ekpeye in 1916, is believed to hold an individual's personal spirit or chi, a central concept in Igbo cosmology often translated as guardian angel or spirit-double. In Igbo belief, chi is a fractal of the supreme creator, Chineke or Chukwu, influencing personal destiny and authenticity.
Oganochi Mgbedike Masquerader, Nimo
This black-and-white photograph shows an Oganochi mgbedike masquerader standing and facing the camera. The masquerader wears a full-length cloth costume with light and dark striped ruffles on the body, upper arms, and legs. Porcupine quills hang from the edges of the ruffles. The dark wooden helmet mask features white paint accentuating the mouth, teeth, and eyes. Two feathers are held in the front of the band at the bottom of the horns. Four carved horns curl inwards on top of …
Decorated Pots of North Ika
A monochromatic photograph depicting two earthenware vessels from North Ika. The vessels feature globular bodies with short cylindrical necks and wide, flattened rims. One vessel stands upright while the other lies recumbent on a granular substrate. Both pots are adorned with high-relief, segmented geometric ornamentation on the upper shoulders, consisting of radiating curvilinear segments defined by punctate borders and fine parallel striations. The high-contrast lighting suggests an archaeological or field-documentation setting.
Iro Ekpetu of the Ogbugulu Mau Masquerade
This photograph by G.I. Jones documents the Ogbugulu Mau masquerade in Amuda village, featuring Iro Ekpetu ('Merciless'). The masquerader wears a black carved mask with white painted eyes and protruding teeth, a raffia hairpiece and skirt, and cloth top and trousers. The performance, held during the dry season usually in December, involved eight masked characters accompanied by two bands and a chorus of young men. Jones noted that these masks threatened the crowd with wands or sticks while wearing loose …
Stanford's Map of the British Possessions in West Africa 1895
A grayscale cartographic map titled Stanford's Map of the British Possessions in West Africa 1895. The document depicts the Gulf of Guinea, Bight of Benin, Bight of Biafra, and various river systems. It includes labels for regions such as Borno, Kumbawa, and the Sahara. The map uses specific shading and hatching patterns to delineate territories associated with British, French, German, Portuguese, and Belgian colonial interests. This map was part of the Crosse Collection, documented in relation to the Royal Niger …
Landscape with Buildings and Trees along the Niger River
A photograph depicting a landscape with a large, mature deciduous tree as the central focal point, featuring a dense canopy and complex branching. The mid-ground shows a series of buildings and trees, while the foreground consists of a flat expanse of low-lying vegetation. The image, taken as a glass negative halfplate, shows significant signs of historical aging, including particulate matter, chemical staining, and fine linear scratches. This record is part of the Crosse Collection and was taken during William Henry …
Alose Shrine Figure
This black-and-white photograph by G.I. Jones documents an Alose shrine in south-eastern Nigeria. The wooden figure stands inside a thatched structure, wearing a striped hat with feather and white facial paint. The deity holds objects in both hands among carved pots and stools. The sculpture represents spiritual forces significant in Igbo religious practice.
Aro Women
A photograph depicting three Aro women with distinct cranial hair styling. The subjects are positioned in a row in front of a vertical structure of thin, dried organic stalks and horizontal poles. One subject is shown in profile facing right with layered, horizontal hair ridges and a light-colored necklace. A second subject is shown from a posterior view with a tall, vertical, segmented columnar hair structure. The third subject is in profile facing left with a large, voluminous, and rounded …
Carved Wooden Ceremonial Board Staff
A photograph depicting a carved wooden figure, possibly a ceremonial board staff, featuring a multi-register relief carving. The structure consists of a base board decorated with various faces, bodies, and geometric shapes. From the top of the board project four short poles, each terminating in a stylized human head with distinct decorative coiffures. The lower register features a prominent central face with a patterned forehead, flanked by smaller humanoid forms and patterned columns. The work is characterized by manual subtractive …
Ogbugulu Mau (Ghost) Masquerade: Iro Ekpetu (Merciless)
A close up view of Iro Ekpetu (Merciless) wearing a black wooden face mask during an Ogbugulu Mau (Ghost) masquerade. The forehead is incised with decoration, the eyes consist of two small holes accentuated with white paint, and the mouth and teeth are also accentuated with white paint. Raffia hair is attached to the back of the mask, and a protrusion is visible on the head. The masquerader wears a cloth top and holds a stick switch. In the background, …
Nwamno Figure from Ogume Village
A photograph depicting a multi-tiered vertical wooden sculpture from Ogume village in South Ika. The object consists of a circular base supporting three vertical pillars, which in turn support a platform for a sculptural grouping of three anthropomorphic figures. The figures vary in scale and postural orientation, featuring stylized facial features with deeply set eye cavities and tiered headdresses. The surface of the carvings exhibits rhythmic horizontal and vertical incisions on the torsos and necks, indicating a precise carving technique. …
Igbo Adult Males Performing Masquerade
A black-and-white gelatin silver print depicting a group of Igbo adult males engaged in a ceremonial performance in an outdoor setting. One figure on the left wears an elaborate mask featuring cloth streamers and trousers with rattles tied around the knees. Other participants are dressed in loincloths, with some holding palm leaves. The background shows a crowd of onlookers. The scene is characterized by high-contrast natural lighting with dappled shadows on the ground, suggesting the event took place under a …
Obugulu Mau Masqueraders at Amobia Village
This colour transparency from the Jones Collection shows Obugulu Mau masqueraders seated in Amobia village, Nri Awka, Onitsha province. The masqueraders wear white face masks with black markings around the eyes, nose, and mouth, accentuating the eyebrows and cheeks. Their elaborate headdresses consist of colourful felt, string, and tassels. They are dressed in harlequin-like costumes. Spectators and trees are visible in the background. The photograph was taken by G.I. Jones, a British colonial administrator and ethnographer who documented Igbo culture …
Royal Niger Company Station with Soldiery
A monochromatic photograph depicting a two-story masonry structure built from irregular stone and mortar in a hilly landscape. Five uniformed male subjects, identified in manuscript notes as "Soldiery", are present: four stand in a line in the foreground holding rifles, and one is positioned within a pitched-roof sentry box to the right of the building. The structure features a corrugated metal hip-roof with a central spire, upper-level windows with awnings, and arched openings on the ground floor. The image was …
Portrait of Two Women
A photograph depicting two women in an outdoor setting. One woman is seated on a wooden chair, wearing a striped head scarf, a shawl, and a striped cloth. A second woman stands beside her with an arm placed on the seated woman's shoulder, wearing a head scarf and a printed wrapper. The background consists of a fence made of wooden poles or reeds and blurred vegetation. The image was captured by William Henry Crosse between 1886 and 1895 as part …
Agwu Nsi Figures
A photograph depicting four wooden Agwu Nsi figures arranged linearly on a flat surface. From left to right, the figures include a small anthropomorphic figure with a conical headdress, a zoomorphic avian figure with an elongated beak, a stylized hybrid figure with tapered upward-pointing protrusions, and a larger anthropomorphic figure with a disc-like head topped by lateral protrusions and holding a vessel. These carvings were used by dibia (diviners) as part of their ritual paraphernalia to assist in divination practices. …
Dancer Wearing Fish Mask
A photograph depicting a dancer in a mid-motion stance during a ritual or ceremonial performance. The figure wears a vertically oriented head structure with a rectangular textile element featuring a four-armed geometric motif, and elongated pointed components extending upward. The torso is draped in a heavy patterned textile with a geometric or checkered motif, while the lower extremities are covered in voluminous light-colored fibrous material. A multi-generational group of spectators, including adults and children, is positioned in a semi-circular perimeter …
An Igbo Elder from Awka, Wearing a War Helmet and Holding a Shield
This photograph, taken by Northcote Thomas around 1913, shows an Igbo elder from Awka wearing an okpu agha, a fibre 'crash' helmet plaited from coarse fibre of Colocasia antiquorum stems for defense against weapons, and holding an ekpeke, a woven shield. These items represent elements of traditional Igbo martial attire and protection in warfare.
Landscape of the Niger River near Asaba
A monochrome landscape photograph taken between 1886 and 1895 by William Henry Crosse, Principal Medical Officer of the Royal Niger Company. The image depicts a large, calm body of water in the foreground with a prominent, vegetated hill centered in the background, creating a symmetrical reflection on the water's surface. The composition is a wide-angle view with a high-key sky and diffuse lighting. The photograph is a lantern slide, identified by archival markings including the alphanumeric code LS.82550 and a …
Royal Niger Company Vessel on the Niger River
A photograph depicting a multi-level watercraft anchored along an embankment on the Niger River. The vessel features a dark hull with barrels and utility equipment on the lower deck, a secondary upper deck with a rectangular cabin, and a light-colored canopy. A single tall, dark smokestack is positioned mid-vessel, and a flag is visible at the stern. Several human figures appear on the upper deck. The foreground consists of a shoreline with dense aquatic vegetation and debris. The image is …
Burning of a Village along the Niger River
A monochrome photograph depicting the burning of a village as seen from the river, likely the result of a punitive expedition. The image shows multiple points of intense combustion among traditional architectural structures with pitched rooflines along the shoreline. Smoke and haze obscure the background sky, while vertical light streaks from the fires are reflected on the calm surface of the water. This image is part of the Crosse Collection, documented as being taken between 1886 and 1895 by William …
Thatched Dwelling and Group of Individuals
A photograph depicting a single-story dwelling with a steeply pitched thatched roof and light-colored walls. The structure features a veranda area with a low perimeter wall and several dark rectangular openings. To the right, a group of approximately five individuals wearing light-colored tunics and hats stands near a tall, slender vertical pole. The environmental context includes a tall, slender tree in the left foreground and a broad canopy tree behind the building. This monochrome image is a glass negative halfplate …
Trader from Timbuctou and Rich Trading Woman
This photograph, taken by G.F. Packer in 1889 and housed in the Pitt Rivers Museum, features a trader from Timbuktu on the right and a rich trading woman on the left, possibly a member of the Onitsha women's Otu Odu (ivory group) society or an Omu, the female counterpart to the king. The woman wears large ivory anklets, indicative of high socio-economic status in this traders' group. The image illustrates long-standing trade connections across West Africa and Igbo commerce along …
Aro men in loincloths clearing thick forest overgrowth under direction of colonial forces
This photograph, taken by Donald A. MacAlister as part of a series from the Aro Punitive Expedition, shows a group of Aro men clearing forest vegetation with machetes to facilitate British colonial troop movement during the Anglo-Aro War of 1901. The war sought to dismantle the Aro Confederacy and the Ibini Ukpabi (Long Juju) oracle, marking a significant event in British colonial efforts against indigenous powers in eastern Nigeria.
Two Ikenga Figures from Nri Awka Igbo
Two wooden Ikenga figures. The figure on the left is seated on a stool and is holding a staff in one hand and another object in the other. The figure has a stylised human face painted white with black markings accentuating the eyebrows, eyes, nose and mouth, the two horns are curled. The figure is sitting and around the neck are coiled rings, the torso is painted white and black and he is wearing a painted ruffled tunic, there are …
Ogbugulu Mau Mask
A photograph depicting a side view of an Ogbugulu Mau helmet mask modelled by a male subject. The face of the mask is painted white with darker pigments accentuating the eyebrows, eyes, mouth, hair, and crested structure. The eyes are small slits with rounded pupils, and the mouth is open to reveal teeth. The cheek and the side of the face feature circular designs. The top of the mask consists of an elaborate crested coiffure with painted pegs in the …
Royal Niger Company Soldiery
A photograph depicting a formation of approximately thirteen African males, identified in the source metadata as \"soldiery\", who are members of the Royal Niger Constabulary. The individuals are arranged in two rows behind two small-bore artillery pieces with spoked wooden wheels. The subjects wear dark cylindrical caps, high-collared button-down tunics, and leather belts with equipment pouches. Several men hold rifles vertically at their sides. The setting is an open, flat area with tropical vegetation, including palm trees, in the background. …
Notes and Queries on Anthropology: Descriptive Characters
An image showing pages 12 and 13 from the 1899 edition of Notes and Queries on Anthropology. The text presents a systematic framework titled 'Descriptive Characters' for the morphological and chromatic classification of human physical traits. Categories include skin coloration, ocular coloration, hair texture, facial geometry, nasal profile, and labial morphology. The layout consists of two columns with a serif typeface, utilizing an alphanumeric system for trait classification.
Agbogho Mmo Maiden Spirit Mask
A photograph depicting an anthropomorphic mask, identified as an Abogho Mmo (maiden spirit) mask. The mask is characterized by an elongated, ovoid silhouette with a pointed peak and bilateral symmetry. It features a light-valued base, likely white pigment, with dark, high-contrast markings including symmetrical arcs and geometric diamond motifs on the cranial region. The ocular region consists of two almond-shaped apertures with downward-sweeping lines, and the mouth is a wide, horizontal oval containing a row of light-valued rectangular shapes simulating …
Igbo Elder from Awka on Oche Mpata
These black-and-white photographs, taken by Northcote Thomas between 1910 and 1911 as part of his anthropological survey, feature an Igbo elder from Öka (Awka). The first shows a close view of her face and head, adorned with a wooden head dress set with pearl buttons, known as “isi ojongo,” embodying Igbo identity and artistic expression. The second depicts the elder seated on an “oche mpata,” a stool reserved for titled individuals with the Ọzọ title, wearing a patterned sarong and …
Portrait of a Male Elder with Staff
A photograph depicting a half-length portrait of an elderly Igbo man. The subject is wearing a textured, ribbed knit beanie and an unfastened, heavy-weight jacket with a discernible weave. He holds a light-colored, smooth-textured wooden staff vertically in his right hand. The image is a monochromatic sepia-toned print showing signs of chemical spotting and surface scratches, with a blue ink overlay across the frame. A partial view of another person is visible on the right edge, and blurred figures appear …
Landscape of an Escarpment Area along the Niger River
A monochromatic photograph from the late 19th century depicting a landscape view of an escarpment area along the Niger River. The foreground consists of dense, low-lying shrubbery and grasses on sloping terrain. In the midground, a cluster of vernacular structures with steeply pitched conical thatched roofs is situated, featuring a single light-toned flag positioned near the primary buildings. The background is dominated by a prominent, elongated forested ridge spanning the horizon under a hazy sky. The image was captured by …
Exhibition Stall of Local Produce
A photograph depicting an exhibition stall housed within an open structure of bamboo poles. The display features a two-tiered wooden shelving system containing various artifacts, including Igbo carvings, Nupe brasswork, Igbo ankle-ornaments, Igbo combs, and mats. Two swords from Benin are also present alongside a musical instrument. The background and upper sections of the stall are lined with woven mats featuring geometric diamond and triangular motifs. The image is a gelatin silver print from the British Museum collection, part of …
Ojo Onu Masquerade in Amuda Village
A photograph depicting a close up portrait of the Ojo (Eju) Onu (Long Mouth) masquerade character, part of the Obugulu Mau (Ghost) masquerade. The subject wears a carved and painted wooden head mask with two horns, eyes, nose, ears, and a protruding snout with teeth. The mask is painted with dark pigment and adorned with pale spots and lines. The costume includes a woven cloth that covers the upper half of the wearer. The background shows grasses, huts, and trees, …
Market Scene with Yams
A monochromatic gelatin silver print depicting a market scene where numerous yams are laid out on the granular ground. A group of men, women, and children stand to the right, wearing draped fabrics wrapped around their torsos and waists, with some individuals carrying containers on their heads. The background features small structures with steeply pitched thatched roofs supported by wooden poles.
A Lady of Ụgwụtā wearing Ivory
A photograph depicting a woman from Ụgwụtā (Oguta) in the Òru area, dating from the early 20th century. The subject is seated on a wooden chair in an outdoor setting with palm-like vegetation. She is dressed in a patterned blouse and matching full-length skirt with small light-colored dots, complemented by a light-colored waist wrap. Two thick ivory rings are worn on her wrists. The source indicates that wealthy traders in the riverine Òru region, who utilized waterways for commerce, wore …
Eze Nri Obalike with his attendants and Chiefs at Enugwu-Ukwu
This photograph, taken by Northcote Thomas in 1911, shows Eze Nri Obalike, who ruled from around 1889 to 1926, surrounded by his attendants and chiefs at the Nkwọ Marketplace in Enugwu-Ukwu. Under the watchful eyes of British colonial officers, Obalike was forced, reportedly at gunpoint, to denounce nso and alu, traditional codes of taboo and abomination that underpinned Nri authority. This event marked the decline of the Nri hegemony and the end of its ritual control over Igbo communities.
Rural Scene with Igbo Masquerades
A black-and-white gelatin silver print depicting a rural scene with two adult Igbo males dressed in masquerade costumes. The figures wear shaggy costumes and painted wooden masks featuring large horns, with one mask also exhibiting large teeth. The image was identified as originating from the Niger Delta region, with ethnic group and location suggestions provided by N F Barley in 1998.
Construction of Brick Buildings by the Royal Niger Company
A photograph depicting a construction site featuring two single-story rectangular buildings made of exposed brick with corrugated metal roofs. The scene includes approximately nine individuals: some wearing Western-style buttoned shirts and trousers, and others in traditional wrap-style garments with bare upper torsos. Loose bricks are scattered across the unpaved foreground, and the background consists of dense tropical vegetation with palm species and broad-leafed canopy trees. The image is part of the Crosse Collection, documenting the activities of the Royal Niger …
Portrait of a Woman with Neck Markings
A monochromatic photograph depicting a woman in profile from the chest upward. The subject wears a voluminous floral textile headwrap and a vertically striped cloth draped over her left shoulder. Visible adornments include a thin dark cord necklace and multiple thin, light-toned horizontal parallel bands around the mid-neck. The image is a close-up portrait with a shallow depth of field, showing blurred foliage in the background. The photograph was taken by William Henry Crosse, Principal Medical Officer of the Royal …
Portrait of an Igbo Man with Ichi Markings
A monochromatic photographic portrait of an Igbo man presented in a three-quarter profile view. The subject exhibits raised, hypertrophic ridges of Ichi scarification on the cheek, temple, and lateral forehead. His hair is plaited with small, vertical, cylindrical tufts on the crown of the head. The image is a gelatin silver print, set against a blurred natural background of vegetation. The portrait captures the dermal modifications and cranial styling typical of Igbo nobility during the late 19th to early 20th …
Excerpt from Anthropological Report on the Ibo-speaking Peoples of Nigeria
A photograph depicting three sequential pages (81, 82, and 83) from Northcote Thomas's 1914 publication, Anthropological Report on the Ibo-speaking Peoples of Nigeria, Part IV: Proverbs, Stories, Tones in Ibo. The pages feature a dual-script format with a primary language using a modified Latin alphabet with extensive diacritics, accompanied by English translations. Page 81 includes the story of the blind man, cripple, poor man, thief and the king (Record 613), and page 83 begins the story of the poor man's …
Ikem Masquerade Play in Umuahia
A black-and-white photograph depicting an Ikem masquerade play. The central figure is a masquerader wearing an Anang carved female face mask featuring naturalistic human features, dark eyebrows, a fine nose, and marks on the cheeks, topped with an elaborate black coiffure in large plaits. The mask is mounted over a square frame covered in printed cloth, and the masquerader wears a striped wrapper. The figure holds an umbrella in one hand and a handkerchief in the other. To the side …
Portrait of Man and Woman
A photograph depicting a man and a woman standing in front of a vernacular architectural structure. The man, on the left, stands upright with a direct gaze, wearing a thin neck ring and a minimalist waist garment. The woman, on the right, is positioned in a three-quarter profile with arms crossed over her chest, wearing multiple stacked neck rings and a thin cord encircling her waist. The background structure features a thick thatched roof and earthen walls. This image is …
Ngbangba Ikoro Masquerade at Abiriba
This black-and-white photograph by G.I. Jones shows the Ngbangba Ikoro masquerade at Abiriba, circa 1930s. The scene depicts performers and spectators outside a traditional thatched building. One figure wears a dark wooden mask painted white with horns, attached to woven sackcloth. A young boy touches this character. Another rounded mask with white bulbous eyes appears upside down. The audience includes women, men, and children wearing printed cloths. Jones documented that Abiriba carvers created masks for this masquerade, with copyright shared …
Boys' Initiation Dance in the Nri Akwa Area
A photograph depicting a boys' initiation dance in the Nri Akwa area. The male initiates are adorned with tight loin cloths decorated with bells around the waist, knee bands made of seeds or metal, and black caps styled as coiffure and studded with round metal decorations. Some individuals wear necklaces. In the background, spectators observe the ceremony. The image captures the physical posture of the initiates, including one subject in the foreground leaning forward at the waist with hands near …
Igbo Man at Masquerade Event
This black-and-white photograph from the Jones Collection shows a bare-chested man photographed from behind during a masquerade event. He wears a cloth headband with a feather tucked into the front, woven materials around his waist and legs, and a narrow band of material, possibly leather, over his right shoulder to his left waist. The image forms part of G.I. Jones's documentation of Igbo and South Ikwerri cultural practices between 1932 and 1938.
Ohaffia Masquerader Performing in Okwanku Masquerade, Akanu Village
Black-and-white photograph by G.I. Jones showing a masked Ohaffia performer in the Okwanku masquerade at Akanu village. The figure wears a wooden face mask with white pigment, high forehead, slit eyes, long nose and mouth, surmounted by a hat, with long raffia hair hanging down. The performer plays a horned instrument while spectators watch in the background. Jones recorded that Okwanku masquerade characters performed comic dramas, including one in which the Dibia (Doctor) character poisoned and revived the Rain Driver. …
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