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Trader from Timbuctou and Rich Trading Woman

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Trader from Timbuctou and Rich Trading Woman, Onitsha. c. 1889.
Trader from Timbuctou on the right and Rich Trading Woman on the left.

This photograph, taken by G.F. Packer in 1889 and housed in the Pitt Rivers Museum, features a trader from Timbuktu on the right and a rich trading woman on the left, possibly a member of the Onitsha women's Otu Odu (ivory group) society or an Omu, the female counterpart to the king. The woman wears large ivory anklets, indicative of high socio-economic status in this traders' group. The image illustrates long-standing trade connections across West Africa and Igbo commerce along the Niger River.

Community Notes

Onyeka Nwokike

Mar 19, 2026

In Onitsha, the Omu served as a female leader with authority similar to a king. She managed the marketplace, set prices for goods, and settled trade disputes. This role highlights the prominence of women in Igbo economic and social life.

Onyeka Nwokike

Mar 19, 2026

Discoveries at Igbo Ukwu date back to the 9th century and show long distance trade. Excavations revealed glass beads from Venice and India, proving that global networks reached Igboland over a millennium ago.

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