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Cultural Archives

A photograph of a multi-tiered carved wooden shrine object featuring two anthropomorphic figures.

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 …

Two facing pages of a printed ethnographic report showing a bilingual transcription of a speech by Chief Onyeso.

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 …

A photograph showing the back of the head of an Igbo boy with a conical hairstyle.

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 …

A kneeling wooden figure of a pregnant woman with a large circular headpiece.

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 …

A black-and-white photograph of an Ekpe masquerader in Uzuakoli wearing a volumetric mask and fibrous costume.

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 …

A photograph showing an exhibition stall with hanging carved figures, woven baskets, and ropes under a wooden frame.

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 …

Comparative table showing three museum identification labels (A, B, and C) for a fish trap.

Museum Identification Labels for Fish Trap from Awgbu

A photograph depicting a comparative catalog table of three museum specimen identification tags associated with a fish trap collected by Northcote Thomas in Awgbu (present-day Anambra State, Nigeria). Label A is an aged brown paper tag with printed text identifying …

A photograph depicting a market scene with yams on the ground and people standing nearby.

Market Scene with Yams

A monochromatic gelatin silver print depicting a market scene where numerous yams are laid out on the granular ground. A group of men, women, and children stand to the right, wearing draped fabrics wrapped around their torsos and waists, with …

Four carved wooden Agwu Nsi figures of varying forms, including humanoid and avian shapes.

Agwu Nsi Figures

A photograph depicting four wooden Agwu Nsi figures arranged linearly on a flat surface. From left to right, the figures include a small anthropomorphic figure with a conical headdress, a zoomorphic avian figure with an elongated beak, a stylized hybrid …

A group of Royal Niger Constabulary soldiers with two artillery pieces.

Royal Niger Company Soldiery

A photograph depicting a formation of approximately thirteen African males, identified in the source metadata as \"soldiery\", who are members of the Royal Niger Constabulary. The individuals are arranged in two rows behind two small-bore artillery pieces with spoked wooden …

A seated chief of North Ika in ceremonial dress with a radial headpiece and bell-shaped garment.

Figure of Chief North Ika

A monochrome photograph depicting a seated human figure in formal ceremonial attire. The subject is positioned on a raised pedestal within a structure featuring a slanted wooden roof and textured mud or clay walls. The figure wears a dark, high-contrast …

Printed pages from Northcote Thomas's 1914 anthropological report showing Igbo folktales and English translations.

Excerpt from Anthropological Report on the Ibo-speaking Peoples of Nigeria

A photograph depicting three sequential pages (81, 82, and 83) from Northcote Thomas's 1914 publication, Anthropological Report on the Ibo-speaking Peoples of Nigeria, Part IV: Proverbs, Stories, Tones in Ibo. The pages feature a dual-script format with a primary language …