Cultural Archives
Igbo Palm Wine Tapper
A gelatin silver print depicting an Igbo palm wine tapper standing beside a building with a corrugated metal roof. The tapper carries a climbing rope and a calabash over his shoulder and holds a machete in his right hand, wearing …
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 …
Carved Wooden Shrine Object from North Ika
A photograph depicting a multi-tiered carved wooden shrine object from Asaba village in North Ika. The sculpture consists of a circular base supported by two crouched anthropomorphic figures, with a larger upper platform containing multiple figures. A central large-scale figure …
Excerpt from Northcote Thomas's Anthropological Report on Ibo-speaking Peoples of Nigeria
A photograph depicting a printed textual fragment from Northcote Thomas's Anthropological Report on Ibo-speaking Peoples of Nigeria, Part IV, Law and Custom of the Ibo of the Asaba District, S. Nigeria, page 189. The text documents the localized governance system …
Ajonku Masquerade at Ovim Village
A photograph depicting an Ajonku masquerade character participating in a parade of masks. The masquerader wears a dark face mask with humanistic features, including almond shaped eyes, a nose, and an open mouth, highlighted with white paint. The mask is …
Family Group Along the Niger River
A monochromatic photograph depicting a family group of six individuals posed outdoors on an earthen surface. A seated adult male is positioned in the center, wearing a patterned cap with vertical decorative elements, a striped long-sleeved tunic, and holding a …
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 …
Transcription of Speech by Chief Onyeso of Agukwu Nri
A photograph depicting pages 92 and 93 from Northcote Thomas's Anthropological Report on the Ibo-speaking Peoples of Nigeria, Part III: Proverbs, Narratives, Vocabularies and Grammar. The printed pages feature a bilingual layout, pairing primary indigenous text with English translations. Page …
Rearview of Igbo Boy with Elaborate Hairstyle
A monochrome photograph depicting the back of the head of a young Igbo boy. The subject features a highly structured, conical hairstyle with tightly coiled hair extending upward, adorned with a light-colored, flexible material wrapped horizontally around the mid-section. The …
Carved Wooden Figure, North Ika
A monochrome photograph of a female-coded anthropomorphic wooden sculpture from North Ika, exhibiting stray Yoruba influence. The figure is depicted in a kneeling posture on a rectangular carved base, with a pronounced, rounded abdomen suggesting fertility or pregnancy. The head …
An Ekpe Masquerader in Uzuakoli
A black-and-white photograph from the 1930s by G.I. Jones depicting an Ekpe masquerader in Uzuakoli, present-day Abia State. The figure is centered in a medium-wide shot, wearing a large, volumetric mask with textured patterns and dark ocular regions. The costume …
Exhibition Stall of Local Produce in Southern Nigeria
A gelatin silver print documenting an exhibition stall within an open, skeletal structure. The display features a collection of local produce including baskets, rope, mats, and carved wooden artifacts. Anthropomorphic figures are suspended from the overhead poles. The image records …