IDNO

P.73817.GIJ

Description

The Ohafia war dance iri agha. A man carrying a headhunters trophy (oyaya) on his head. The trophy is a rectangular wooden frame decorated with feathers, leopard fur, cloths and animal fur at either end. He is wearing a striped shirt, and holding a ?metal rod in one hand. Behind him is a crowd of people and a Building with corrugated iron roof.

Place

W Africa; Nigeria; Southeast Nigeria

Cultural Affliation

Igbo [historically Ibo]; Ohaffia

Named Person

Photographer

Jones, Gwilliam Iwan (known as G.I.)

Collector / Expedition

Date

circa 1930 - 1939

Collection Name

Jones collection

Source

Jones, Gwilliam Iwan (known as G.I.)

Format

Print Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

P.73815.GIJ to P.73888.GIJ were kept in box 9, now numbered C337/.
P.73815.GIJ to P.73818.GIJ were found wrapped in paper, now numbered C337/1/.

Publication: Same image published on John McCall’s G.I. Jones website with the following information: [Source: www.siu.edu/~anthro/mccall/jones/, AF ]
1. Index to Ohafia/Abam Igbo
2. The Ohafia War Dance (iri agha)
3. Ohafia war dancer with headboard (oyaya) (2nd image).
[Source: www.siu.edu/~anthro/mccall/jones/, AF 1/10/2007]

Context: Jones writes about the war dance emblems. He notes that, “One of the many kinds of Ibo dances consisted of men or women dancing in a ring around an emblem or trophy which was displayed either standing on its own or borne aloft on a bearer’s head. For example, in Cross River war dances the emblem was a horizontal rectangular frame covered in leopard skin to which human skulls or wooden imitations of them were attached, together with ram’s skulls and other ornaments” (Jones, 1989, p.39.)

Bibliographical Reference:
Jones, G.I. 1989 Ibo Art (Shire).

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Alicia Fentiman 12/2/2008]