Context (Field collection)
Collected by Northcote W. Thomas in Edo State, Agbede town. The inhabitants belong to the Edo ethnic group, and also identify themselves further as Aviele people. The language they speak is referred to as Etsako.

See Blench, R. M., 1995. The Work of N.W. Thomas as Government Anthropologist in Nigeria. The Nigerian Field, 60, pp.29.

Event Date
Author: Remke van der Velden

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Description (Physical description)
Doll, incised necklace and beaded head-dress. Carving/incising down the side of the cylindrical body.

Event Date
Author: maa

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Context (Auction / Sale)
Purchased using money from Prof. A.A. Bevan’s subscription to the Museum’s Accessions Fund.

Event Date
Author: Katrina Dring

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Description (Labels & Markings)
Written on base in pencil: '2302'
Event Date
Author: Katrina Dring

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Description (Labels & Markings)
Thomas/Bevan label attached with string reads: 'T.C.2302 / DOLL.'
Event Date
Author: Katrina Dring

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Description (Labels & Markings)
Thomas label adhered to back reads: '147 | 2302 / Doll (utomo), incised necklace and beaded head-dress. / Agbede.'
Event Date
Author: Katrina Dring

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Description (Labels & Markings)
Luggage tag attached with string reads: '2302 | Utomo (Doll) brought from Islam county to Agbede. / marks = iki ie / beads = hair (Eto) / Agbede'
Event Date
Author: Katrina Dring

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Context (Related Documents)
See E 1910.118 and E 1913.3 records for further details about the Thomas Collection from Nigeria. [T. Cotterill]
Event Date 7/5/2001
Author: maa

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Description (Physical description)
The doll also has a bead necklace. [K. Sutton].
Event Date 5/6/2001
Author: Katrina Dring

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Description (Physical description)
Old label ‘’Utomo’, doll brought from Ishan country to Agbede. Marks: iki (ie) Beads: ?hair (eto)’. Wood, divided into four segments. Segment 1 (from bottom up) = 25cm, 2 = 3cm, 3 = 5cm, and 4 = 6cm. Thomas label: ‘Doll, ‘Utomo’ incised necklace and beaded dress’. Segment one has a carving incised over the full length that could be interpreted as a lizard, but it is difficult to identify. The lizard is made up of carved lines and could also pass as an insect or a human depending how one looks at it. The carvings are sharp, deliberate and elaborately done, but the significance is unknown. Segment 2 consists of a raised ridge, like the previous figure and can be interpreted as the neck. It has two rows of red beads around it in the form of a necklace. The third segment contains cat’s whiskers marks, which are face marks common among the Nupe in the 19th century, as seen previously. The fourth segment constitutes the hair or headdress and extends upwards from the head into a flat rectangular Mohawk like shape. It is 2.5 cm thick with holes in the top of it, through which strands of white, brown-white-black and blue glass beads are strung. Thomas refers to these strands as hair. The tip of the headdress has serrated incisions, as does the top of the segment below that. Similar to Z 11738. [Information provided by Dr Ohioma Pogoson, Honorary Curator of the Museum of the Institute for African Studies, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. November 2012.]
Event Date 4/12/2012
Author: maa

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Description (Physical description)
Carved, wooden doll with cylindrical body, bead necklaces and a large crest with beaded strings. The head is flat on top with serrated edge and the face is abstract, with a mouth suggested by an incised line with radiating scarification patterns. The crest is rectangular with a serrated top and has eight holes drilled through it; strings of beads are strung through some of these holes. A ring is carved around the neck with a beaded necklace over the top, and the body is cylindrical with incised geometric asymmetrical patterns. There are a number of different beads, all made of glass: small, circular red ones around the neck, spherical, round, and cylindrical blue beads, round red beads striped with white and dark blue, round blue beads striped with red and white, and white cylindrical beads all adorn the crest. The back of the doll appears to be striped with lighter and darker bands. There are some signs of historic insect damage.
Event Date 18/10/2018
Author: Katrina Dring

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Context (Amendments / updates)
Record updated as part of the Museum Affordances project 2018-2020.
Event Date 18/10/2018
Author: Katrina Dring

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Conservation (Remedial)
CON.2021.4981 | Remedial
Event Date 7/4/2021
Author: Kirstie French

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Context (Display)
Exhibited in [Re:]Entanglements: Colonial collections in decolonial times, MAA, 22 June 2021 – 20 April 2022.

The text noted:
'Anthropological entanglements
The anthropological surveys of Nigeria and Sierra Leone led by Northcote Thomas between 1909 and 1915 were intended to contribute to the work of colonial administration. Thomas was, however, criticised by the colonial authorities for pursuing research that had little ‘practical value’ in this respect.
As an anthropologist, Thomas had more general interests in comparing human societies and cultural practices. Take, for instance, these dolls collected by Thomas and his assistants in Nigeria.
Like string games, dolls are played with by children all over the world. But Thomas was interested in what makes a doll a doll. How are dolls distinct from other representations of the human form such as ‘magical figurines’ or ‘idols’? Can they be regarded as being alive in some way?Anthropology was certainly entangled in colonial power relations. But what does this mean when it comes to seeking to learn about cultural differences and similarities?

CAPTION
Northcote Thomas had wide-ranging anthropological interests. His research on dolls pre-dated his appointment as ‘Government Anthropologist’. This questionnaire on dolls was published in 1906 in the journal Man.

LINK
https://re-entanglements.net/dolls'

Event Date 22/6/2021
Author: rachel hand

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Description (Physical description)
Utomo. Carved wooden doll with cylindrical body, bead necklaces and a large crest with beaded strings (Eto). The head is flat on top with serrated edge, the face is abstract with a mouth suggested by an incised line with radiating scarification patterns (iki ie). The crest is rectangular with a serrated top and has eight holes drilled through it; strings of red, blue, black and white beads are strung through some of these holes. A ring is carved around the neck with a red beaded necklace, and the body is cylindrical with incised asymmetrical geometric patterns.
Event Date 17/10/2022
Author: Lizzy Peneycad