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Painted Courthouse Mural at Nri
A photograph depicting a monochromatic mural painted on a dark, textured exterior wall of a courthouse in Nri, Onitsha Province. The mural is divided into two primary zones: a left-hand section featuring architectural motifs like a window frame alongside concentric spirals, dots, and wavy lines; and a central scene enclosed in a light-colored, scalloped perimeter. This central scene features a large stylized humanoid figure with triangular tessellation on its torso and legs, flanked by two smaller figures in wrap-like garments. …
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 …
Domestic assemblage and sleeping area
A photograph depicting a collection of functional items and a sleeping area in an outdoor or semi-sheltered environment. The foreground contains various vessels, including a large spherical container and a rounded pot, along with a brimmed hat, dark footwear, and a rectangular chest. The midground features an elevated sleeping surface with light-colored sheets and pillows. A large thatched roof made of fibrous materials dominates the background.
Mud Figures of Chief, Attendants, and Commissioner of Police
A photograph depicting a series of humanoid figures composed of molded clay or similar material, arranged on a raised earthen platform within a semi-enclosed structure. The assemblage includes a seated figure in a military-style hat and jacket, a prominent seated figure in a patterned long-sleeved garment and flared skirt, and standing figures with bare torsos wearing necklaces and wrap-around lower garments. The figures are positioned under a roof of organic materials, with a central unhewn wooden post and a textured …
Royal Niger Company Steam Vessel on the Niger River
A photograph depicting a medium-sized transport vessel with hybrid steam and sail propulsion anchored along a riverbank on the Niger River. The vessel features a single mast and a mid-aft smokestack emitting steam. The upper deck is heavily laden with rectangular bundles of cargo. Approximately 8 to 12 individuals in utilitarian clothing are visible on the main deck. The surrounding environment consists of a sloping riverbank with low vegetation and a background of dense tropical forest.
African Priest and Altar Boys at a Christian Church
A photograph depicting an African priest and four altar boys worshipping at a Christian church. The priest wears a white alb and a dark embroidered chasuble with floral motifs. The four boys are dressed in dark short capes over white ankle-length garments with lace-like edging. The church interior is constructed from corrugated iron. The altar is decorated with candles, floral garlands, and a patterned cloth, with a rug featuring geometric motifs on the floor.
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 …
Aja Ǹgwùlù (Entrance to an Igbo Compound)
A photograph depicting the entrance and high walls (aja ǹgwùlù) of an Igbo compound (ǹgwùlù) in or near Onitsha. The structure is a single-story rectangular building with walls composed of plastered material and a thatched roof of organic fibers. The entrance is flanked by two pillars featuring bas-relief carvings of concentric circles, wavy lines, and geometric patterns. A freestanding carved column is positioned to the right of the portal. Inside the structure, a figure is visible wearing a high-contrast patterned …
Feathered Headdress Ogonya Play
A photograph depicting a feathered headdress used in the Ogonya Play in Ogume village, South Ika. The image shows a vertical ornamental structure with a dark central axis and radiating light-toned, blade-like feathers. An arm clad in patterned fabric holds the object aloft. In the background, a group of young males with bare torsos are positioned among dense tropical vegetation, including palm trees. The high-contrast monochrome composition emphasizes the verticality of the headdress and the surrounding flora.
Ohaffia Masquerader in Okwanku Performance, Akanu Village
Close-up view of an Ohaffia Igbo masquerader during the Okwanku performance in Akanu village. The wooden face mask displays a high forehead, slit eyes, elongated nose and mouth, all coated with white pigment. Long raffia strands form a fringe around the mask and hang over the performer’s chest. Spectators appear in soft focus behind. According to Jones, Okwanku masqueraders enacted a comic drama in which the character Dibia poisoned and revived the Rain Driver. The mask type, known as Otili, …
Carved Wooden Shrine Object from Aboh Town
A monochrome photograph depicting a multi-tiered carved wooden sculpture from South Ika, Aboh town. The object features a superior tier with two elongated anthropomorphic figures wearing cylindrical, flat-topped headpieces with vertical striations. The figures possess protruding eyes and slender torsos with central vertical grooves. The intermediate tier consists of a block-like mass with animalistic characteristics, including a snout-like structure with horizontal slits. The base is supported by four thick, rectangular pillar-like legs. The sculpture is positioned against a backdrop of …
Two Igbo Women in Traditional Attire, Onitsha
A photograph depicting two ladies from the Onitsha area. Both subjects are bare-chested and wear tight-fitting dark bands around their heads, multiple beaded necklaces with a central crescent-shaped pendant, and a diagonal sash across the torso. Their attire includes metallic bands on the upper arms and wrists, a wide multi-layered waist belt, and short wrap-around skirts. Both wear cylindrical metallic leg guards extending from the ankle to below the knee. One subject holds a fly-whisk and a closed umbrella, while …
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.
Igbo Dancer Performing Agaba Masquerade
A photograph depicting an Igbo dancer in Okitipupa, Ondo Province, performing the Agaba masquerade. The central figure wears a dark, matte-textured mask with wide, recessed eyes and an open mouth revealing white, rectangular teeth. The headdress features two large, curved horns and carved humanoid figures, with organic stalks extending vertically. The performer's torso is covered in a garment of overlapping light-toned, disc-shaped objects. Four men in mid-century attire are positioned around the dancer, observing the performance. This image was published …
Portable Household Shrine, North Ika
A monochromatic photograph depicting a portable household shrine from North Ika. The assemblage features a central anthropomorphic wooden carving with stylized facial elements, a torso, and horizontal lines suggesting arms, flanked by two weathered wooden slabs. To the right is a composite structure of two vertical wooden pieces secured by a dark circular band. These elements are positioned atop a conical mound of compacted earth, clay, or mud, which rests on a flat, rectangular wooden platform.
Conversation between John and Nwile
A photograph of two facing pages, 48 and 49, from Northcote Thomas's Anthropological Report on the Ibo-Speaking Peoples of Nigeria, Part III: Proverbs, Narratives, Vocabularies and Grammar. The pages display a transcribed and translated dialogue between two young men: John, identified as an Onitsha boy, and Nwile, identified as a Nibo boy. The text is organized into two columns with the original Igbo language using specialized diacritical marks for phonetic values, followed by English translations. The conversation documents a visit …
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 …
An Igbo couple from Asaba
This studio portrait from around 1900 depicts an Asaba man in riding gear or English recreational dress posing with his wife, illustrating the blend of traditional and colonial influences in Asaba. Asaba was a site of resistance to European invasion by the Igbo in the early 19th century, where British explorers Richard and John Lander were taken captive in 1830 during their expedition to trace the course of the Niger River. Later, Asaba became a trading post and administrative headquarters …
Northcote Thomas Botanical Collections
A photograph depicting a composite montage of three herbarium specimen sheets from the botanical collections of Northcote Thomas, curated at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The first panel shows a specimen of Psychotria scindaphos from Ubulu, recorded as specimen number 2315. The second panel displays a specimen of Solanum from Hugo, recorded as number 2310, dated November 8, 1912. The third panel contains specimens identified as Omphalogonus calophylla and Omphalogonus nigrescens. These collections were gathered during Thomas's anthropological surveys in …
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 …
Onu Kamma Masqueraders at Nimo
Black-and-white photograph showing three Onu Kamma (Mouth stronger than sword) masqueraders at Nimo, Nri Awka, Onitsha province. Each figure wears a large conical faceless mask constructed from layered fibre with a cloth panel at the front. Their attire includes tie-dyed or batik upper garments, striped woven cloth trousers, and fibre skirts secured at the waist; cowrie shells are visible on the rightmost performer. Two masqueraders hold metal gongs, one striking his with a stick. A sizable crowd of bystanders observes …
Oji Onu Masquerade with Janus-Faced Helmet Mask
This black-and-white photograph shows a close-up view of a seated masquerade character in the oji onu masquerade, photographed by Gwilliam Iwan Jones between 1932 and 1938 in Akama, Anambra State, Nigeria. The masquerader wears a janus-faced helmet mask featuring two distinct faces: one with deep-set eyes, a hooked nose and wide open mouth, the other with a hooked nose and long downward curving beak. Both faces are painted white with features highlighted in dark pigment. The mask is topped with …
Settlement along the Niger River
A monochrome landscape photograph depicting a riparian settlement along the Niger River. The composition features a wide body of water in the foreground with a dense line of forest vegetation and dispersed, low-profile, single-story buildings along the shoreline. Some structures feature light-toned, reflective roofing. The sky is overcast with heavy cloud cover. The photographic medium shows significant physical degradation, including surface scratches and light leaks.
Portrait of an Igbo Woman
A photograph depicting a bust-length portrait of an Igbo woman in a frontal pose. She wears a light-colored, voluminous headwrap with dark repetitive decorative motifs and a light-colored short-sleeved blouse with a scooped neckline, decorative lace trim, and a single button. Visible dark, linear markings are present on her upper chest and sternum area. The image is presented as an oval vignette within a rectangular border. The photograph was taken by Dr. William Henry Crosse during his tenure as Principal …
Portrait of Chief William Brown's Daughter
A photograph depicting a young adult female seated in a chair, wearing a traditional wedding outfit consisting of Ibo cloth, jewelry, and an ornate hairstyle. The subject is positioned centrally in a frontal portrait against a backdrop of patterned textile featuring geometric grid and diamond motifs. She wears a light-colored cross-over garment, a wide dark collar with descending pendants, multiple stacked rigid bands on her upper arms, and a voluminous skirt with high-contrast vertical and diagonal stripes and a fringed …
Ogbugulu Mau Masquerader Performing in Amuda Village
This black-and-white photograph captures the Ogbugulu Mau masquerade performance in Amuda village near Awka, southeastern Nigeria, between 1932 and 1938. The masquerader Nwaogho Ehi (Heifer) wears a white helmet mask with distinctive v-shaped markings above and below the eyes, a brightly colored harlequin-like appliqué costume, cloth cloak tied around the neck, and ankle-rattles made from seeds. The photograph documents Igbo masquerade traditions among the Isuochi people, showing the elaborate costume design and performance context within a rural setting with mud …
Group Portrait from Royal Niger Company
This group portrait, photographed by William Henry Crosse between 1886 and 1895, captures Igbo individuals associated with the Royal Niger Company along the Niger River. The image provides insights into colonial trade interactions and social dynamics in the region during the company's operations.
Uli Body Painting in Awka
A photograph depicting a woman applying paint to the back of a man who is kneeling on all fours on a woven mat. The woman wears a patterned head covering and uses a small handheld tool to apply the designs. The man is bare-chested and wears a patterned waist wrap. The scene takes place on a sandy surface next to a structure made of woven organic material and a wooden support post. This image documents the practice of Uli body …
Group Portrait from Royal Niger Company
A photograph depicting approximately 13 individuals standing in a horizontal line before a long, low-profile building. The structure features a steeply pitched gabled roof made of thatch or plant fibers and walls constructed from vertical organic elements such as reeds or wooden poles. The subjects exhibit a variety of clothing, including traditional wrapped textiles with geometric or organic motifs, and Western-influenced attire such as button-down shirts, shorts, and trousers. The setting is characterized by a flat, unpaved earth surface and …
Building on the Banks of the Niger River
This monochrome lantern slide, taken between 1886 and 1895 by Dr. William Henry Crosse, depicts a single-story building on the banks of the Niger River in Nigeria. The structure features a pitched gable roof with an organic covering and an elongated front porch supported by decorative wooden latticed elements. Tall vegetation and a calm body of water occupy the foreground, while rolling hills and distant structures are visible in the background. The photograph was part of a series documenting the …
Family Group Portrait
A photograph depicting a family group of three females positioned in front of an open-fronted structure with a thick thatched roof supported by unrefined wooden poles. The group consists of an adult woman seated in the center, wearing a large light-colored textile with prominent vertical stripes covering her torso and wrapping around her lower body, and two other females standing on either side. The female on the left is an adolescent or child with a bare upper torso and a …
Mural Building at Okwu
A monochromatic photograph depicting a long, single-story building with a flat roof and a colonnade of vertical support columns. The wall behind the columns features large-scale graphic murals showing repetitive, stylized silhouettes of human figures in dynamic and rhythmic poses. A group of approximately 25 to 35 individuals, including adults and children in varied attire such as light-colored wraps and Western-style shirts and trousers, is gathered in the cleared earthen foreground. The scene is set against a backdrop of dense …
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 …
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.
Portrait of a Man with Facial Scarring
A grayscale photograph depicting a head and shoulders portrait of a man facing the camera. He wears a collarless shirt with a dark-toned, textured garment and a light-colored cloth draped around his neck. The man's right eye appears to be scarred or bruised, with the eyelid puffed up and closed. The background consists of a shallow depth of field with out-of-focus natural elements, including trees and low-lying vegetation in an outdoor setting.
Igbo Musical Band in Cross River Area
A monochrome photograph depicting a group of boys performing in a musical band. The ensemble utilizes several traditional instruments, including igba (membrane drums made of wood and leather), pot drums, ngedegwu (xylophones consisting of wooden slats on a pot base), ogene (metal gongs), and rattles constructed from small basketwork containers. The musicians are dressed in loincloths, with some wearing cloth kerchiefs on their heads. A group of male spectators, wearing a mix of wrappers, jackets, shirts, and hats, stand behind …
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 …
Physical Type Portraits of Igbo-speaking Communities
A photograph of two album pages featuring eighteen monochrome and sepia-toned portrait prints of human males of various ages. These portraits, known as physical type photographs, are organized in two symmetrical 3x3 grids on a light-colored substrate. The subjects are captured in frontal, profile, and three-quarter views, focusing on the head and shoulders. Visual details include various hair patterns, shaved heads, facial hair, and visible scarification. Some subjects are bare-chested while others wear textured or patterned fabrics and neck adornments. …
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 …
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.
Mgbedike Masquerade from Onitsha Province
The masquerader wears a headdress carved with horns, figures, and animals. The costume includes cloth, palm fronds, shells, seeds, and porcupine quills. The mask is covered with palm fronds and omu. The masquerader holds an object, possibly a machete or knife, in one hand. The background features trees, bystanders, and houses.
Young Igbo Girl Painted with Uli
This black-and-white photograph from the 1940s by Sylvia Leith-Ross shows a young Igbo girl adorned with traditional Uli body art patterns. She wears a headpiece with feathers and decorative elements, with her back turned to emphasize the designs. Blurred figures in the background suggest a public event. The image highlights the cultural significance of Uli in Igbo identity and aesthetics, as documented in Leith-Ross's book African Conversation Piece (1944).
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 …
Portrait of an Igbo Woman Clerk in Maiduguri
A photograph depicting a young Igbo woman employed as a clerk in Maiduguri. The subject is shown in a three-quarter profile, facing left, with a smile. She wears a multicolored, mottled textile head wrap with red, green, yellow, and white pigments, large metallic-toned hoop earrings, and a metallic-toned chain necklace with a rounded dark pendant. Her garment is burgundy with a visible collar. The background is an indoor setting with low ambient light, featuring a blurred mechanical or electronic device …
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.
Okike, Ikenga and Other Shrines of North Ika
A monochromatic photograph depicting a collection of carved wooden objects on a granular substrate. The central assemblage features a seated humanoid figure with a tall, vertically striated cylindrical headdress, positioned on a rectangular base with diagonal rhythmic ridges. Adjacent to the figure is a slender vertical staff with a rounded terminal and a short cylindrical vessel adorned with small, pointed protrusions. A secondary object to the right consists of a mask-like form with two elongated vertical protrusions extending from the …
Man in Embroidered Beadwork Canvas Costume and Mask
A monochrome, full-length photographic portrait of a man standing in a frontal, upright posture. The subject is wearing an elaborate, form-fitting suit that covers the torso, arms, and legs, featuring a high-density pattern of geometric and organic motifs, including concentric circles and cross-shaped motifs. The garment's thoracic region includes two hemispherical forms to mimic female mammary anatomy. The subject wears a light-colored mask that covers the face and a dark-toned hood that obscures the hair and neck. The figure stands …
Mau Ghost Face Mask
A photograph depicting a Mau (ghost) face mask painted white with black pigment. The mask features slit eyes, an elongated nose, and a mouth with teeth, accompanied by ear projections. The forehead and under-eye regions are decorated with carved and painted extended triangles, while the center of the forehead and areas near the ears contain etched markings. Darkly painted circular decorations appear on the chin, and the top of the mask is finished with a black, scalloped edge. The object …
Questionnaire on Dolls
A two-page printed questionnaire from 1906 created by Northcote Thomas, M.A., for publication in the journal Man. The document is a formal inquiry into the cultural significance and use of dolls, categorized by thematic inquiries into physical description, biological mimicry (such as feeding and sleeping), mortality and trauma (including disease and burial ceremonies), social and emotional dynamics, and ritual or supernatural uses. It features an institutional stamp from the Anthropological Institute in London and was printed by Eyre and Spottiswoode. …
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.
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