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Mural Decorations in Nri Akwa

Image Arts
A photograph of mural decorations in Nri Akwa showing two stylized figures in relief.
Mural decorations in Nri Akwa. Photograph by G.I. Jones, circa 1930-1939.

A photograph depicting a close up view of mural decorations on a wall in Nri Akwa. The murals feature two raised figures in relief, rendered with light colored pigments on a dark matte substrate. The figure on the left is stylized with extended arms, wearing white painted clothing and body decorations, and holding a rectangular object. This figure is flanked by birds and leaf designs and stands on a decorated plinth. The figure on the right stands with arms on hips, featuring a white painted face, white markings, and a medal around his neck. Both figures are surrounded by geometric swirled patterns and birds, with the head of each figure encircled by ornate, radiating designs suggesting ceremonial headgear or halos.

Community Notes

Onyeka Nwokike

Oct 12, 2026

Following the First World War, villages in the region competed to construct meeting-houses and public monuments. This era featured the use of solid mud walls called Mbaja, which were viewed as public monuments. The inspiration for decorating these structures came from the village of Umuajatta (Olokoro), where an Anang (Ibibio) artist was hired to paint frescoes in the Ngwomo style on an Ekpe (Egbo) society house. This trend led other villages, including Okwu, to adopt similar decorative styles for their permanent walls, as detailed by the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge.

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