Category Daily Life

Gain insight into the everyday life of the Igbo community with images depicting daily activities, family life, and social interactions that define Igbo culture.

All Archives Insights

Onyeka Nwokike
12 June 2024
Daily Life
0 mins

Igbo man tying yams in a yam barn, 1880-1939

This photograph, taken between 1880 and 1939, depicts an Igbo man tying yams onto a large frame made of poles inside a traditional yam barn. He wears a loin-cloth and sits on a carved stool. The image offers a rare glimpse into the traditional methods of yam preservation in Igboland, Nigeria.

Onyeka Nwokike
20 May 2024
Arts, Daily Life
2 mins

A wood carver carving an Ikenga figure, Nri-Awka Igbo. 1930s

This photograph captures a wood carver from Nri-Awka Igbo at work. His hands skillfully shape the wood, transforming it into a powerful figure: an Ikenga. In Igbo culture, the Ikenga is more than just a sculpture. It's a symbol carved from wood, representing an individual's potential for achievement, success, and even their destiny.

Onyeka Nwokike
14 April 2024
Daily Life
3 mins

Trader from Timbuctou and Rich Trading Woman, Onitsha. c. 1889

This photograph was taken by G. F. Packer in 1889 and is source from the Pitt Rivers Museum. It features a trader from Timbuktu and a rich trading woman, who who might be a member of the Onitsha women’s Otu Odu society, or an Omu, the female counterpart to the…

Onyeka Nwokike
14 March 2024
Daily Life
0 mins

An Igbo Elder from Awka, Wearing the Okpu Agha and Holding the Ekpeke, c. 1913

This photograph, taken in the early 1900s, transports you to Awka (present-day Anambra State, Nigeria). It portrays an Igbo elder, adorning his head with the okpu agha, the war helmet. In his hand, he grasps a sturdy ekpeke, a woven shield. These aren't mere decorations; they're a warrior's full regalia, a powerful symbol of valor and a window into Igbo martial traditions.