Simon Ottenberg

Simon Ottenberg (1923-2023) was a prominent American anthropologist renowned for his extensive research on the Igbo people of Afikpo (Ehugbo). He became so deeply immersed in the local culture that he was initiated into the Ogo cult and became known as "Bekee Ibe Okwu." His work, particularly Igbo Art and Culture (2005) and Masked Rituals of Afikpo, remains a seminal reference for the study of Igbo aesthetics and social life.