Cultural Archives
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 …
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 …
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 …
River Steamer on the Niger River
A photograph depicting a small, low-profile motorized river steamer, possibly a mission boat, navigating a wide, calm body of water. The vessel features a central vertical smokestack, a light-colored cabin toward the bow, and a thin vertical mast. In the …
Northcote Thomas Collection: Awgbu Artifacts
A monochromatic photograph documenting a collection of objects acquired by Northcote Thomas in Awgbu (present-day Anambra State, Nigeria) in 1911. The items are arranged in a horizontal line against a light-colored fabric backdrop in an outdoor setting, with a person …
Igbo bu Igbo (Great Igbo)
An audio recording of a folksong titled 'Igbo bu Igbo' (Great Igbo), recorded by Northcote Thomas on December 16, 1910, in Awka. The performance features a female singer utilizing a high-pitched, resonant vocal technique with a repetitive, call-and-response structure. The …
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 …
Young Igbo Christian Man in Kano
A photograph depicting a young Igbo Christian man employed as a translator for the Greater Kano Planning Authority. The subject is shown in a full-length portrait, standing upright with hands clasped at the waist. He wears a white cylindrical cap, …
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 …
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 …
Maiden Spirit Mask (Isi abogefi)
A photograph showing the interior and exterior of an Igbo maiden spirit mask, known locally as Isi abogefi, collected by Northcote Thomas in Agukwu Nri in 1911. The mask is carved from egbu wood and features a white facial surface …
Agbhogho Mmanwu Maiden Mask
A photograph depicting a profile view of an Agbhogho Mmanwu maiden mask. The object is a stylized human head carved from wood and painted, featuring a prominent nose, thick lips, and a slightly open mouth revealing segmented teeth. The cranium …