Accession No

Z 12886


Description

Olose. Loom attachment carved from wood. It consists of a wooden bracket with hole drilled through each arm, with two faces carved back to back mounted on top. One of the faces has scarification marks consisting of three vertical lines below the eyes and three very faint lines arranged horizontally either side of the mouth. There is a hole drilled through the section at the top, in through one side of the faces and out through the other side.


Place

Africa; West Africa; Nigeria; Edo State; Okpe


Period


Source

Thomas, Northcote Whitridge [field collector]; Bevan, Anthony Ashley (Prof.) [monetary donor]


Department

Anth


Reference Numbers

Z 12886; 1566 [Thomas Coll. - 1st Cat.]; 843 [Thomas Coll. label]


Cultural Affliation

Edo; Okpe


Material

Wood


Local Term

olose; okeeke


Measurements

55mm x 185mm


Events

Description (Labels & Markings)
Thomas label attached to inside of base reads: '843 | 1566 / Figurines for Loom (olose), two heads back to back. / Okpe'
Event Date
Author: Katrina Dring


Description (Labels & Markings)
Thomas/Bevan label reads: 'T.C.1566 / Figurine from Loom'
Event Date
Author: Katrina Dring


Description (Physical description)
Figurine for loom, two heads back to back (olose)
'There is a large crack stretching from the side of the head down to the chest. K. Sutton 24/5/2001'
Event Date
Author: maa


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


Context (Analysis)
Okeeke, an instrument used for holding rollers on the weaving loom. It is usually situated above the head of the weaver and linked with the pedals that alternate the cotton for weaving. There are usually two sets of spun cotton for weaving. The cottons are separated alternately. This is to allow the two sets to alternate moving up and down. Each time they alternate the up and down movement, the shuttle with its cotton is passed through, thus allowing for a kind of mat weaving effect. The mechanism attached to the two sets of strings that allows for the easy to and fro rotation of the cotton sets is the okeeke. In between the prongs of the carved wood there would be a reel/roller to which the extended strings from the pedals are attached.
Northcote Tomas label reads: ‘olosi’ and ‘two heads back to back’. This is a wooden Janus figure for a loom. The neck of the figure has a hole drilled though it perhaps to facilitate storage. The neck widens out in two legs, which form the functional part of the object. Each leg contains two holes to insert a rod through. The heads are human and naturalistically carved. Cat’s whiskers face markings are visible on one of the heads, which also has three marks running from below the eyes across the cheeks. The other figure has three marks on each side of the face. These markings are all typical of the Niger/Bedue confluence area. The noses and mouths are sharply cut similar to Z 12943. It is not possible to discern the gender of the figures. This is a clear attempt to decorate a functional object. The wood is split in a few places. Information provided by Dr Ohioma Pogoson, Honorary Curator of the Museum of the Institute for African Studies, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. January 2013.
Event Date 1/2013
Author: maa


Context (Field collection)
Collected by Northcote W. Thomas in Edo State, Okpe town. The inhabitants belong to the Edo ethnic group, and also identify themselves further as Okpe people. The language they speak is also referred to as Okpe. See Blench, R. M., 1995. The Work of N.W. Thomas as Government Anthropologist in Nigeria. The Nigerian Field, 60, pp.29.
Purchased using money from Prof. A.A. Bevan’s subscription to the Museum’s Accessions Fund.
Event Date 5/2/2013
Author: Remke van der Velden


Description (Physical description)
Loom figure. Two faces arranged back to back mounted on top of a loom attachment of two arms with a hole drilled into each. One of the faces has scarification marks consisting of three vertical lines below the eyes and three very faint lines arranged horizontally either side of the mouth. One of the arms has a second, misaligned hole which is filled with a peg or was only partially drilled. There is also a hole passing between the two heads.
Event Date 12/7/2018
Author: Katrina Dring


Context (Amendments / updates)
Record updated as part of the Museum Affordances project 2018-2020

Event Date 12/7/2018
Author: Katrina Dring


Description (Physical description)
Olose. Loom attachment carved from wood. It consists of a wooden bracket with hole drilled through each arm, with two faces carved back to back mounted on top. One of the faces has scarification marks consisting of three vertical lines below the eyes and three very faint lines arranged horizontally either side of the mouth. There is a hole drilled through the section at the top, in through one side of the faces and out through the other side.
Event Date 19/10/2021
Author: Eleanor Beestin-Sheriff


FM:128835

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