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Portrait of an Igbo Woman

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A photograph depicting a bust-length portrait of an Igbo woman with chest markings.
Portrait of an Igbo woman. Photographed by William Henry Crosse, 1886-1895.

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 Medical Officer for the Royal Niger Company between 1886 and 1895.

Community Notes

Onyeka Nwokike

Aug 29, 2026

The linear markings on the subject's chest are examples of ritual scarification. While Ichi scarification is predominantly associated with the facial markings of men initiated into the aristocratic Nze na Ozo society, other skin modifications such as Uri (the application of colorful dyes) were traditionally used by Igbo women for beautification during tribal holidays, as noted by Legit.ng.

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