IDNO

P.170722.GIJ

Description

A clay sculpture of a standing four-legged animal in an Mbari house. The animal's neck is capped by two rings enclosing balls or cartridges. It is wearing a 'uniform'. The tail is formed from a series of rings. The sculpture appears to be a hybrid of an animal and a machine gun. In the background a wall with designs of a woman with fan-like hair and raised arms (?Mammywater), a tree and geometric symbols. [PB 12/03/2024]

Place

W Africa; Nigeria; Southeast Nigeria; Imo State; Oratta; Umowa

Cultural Affliation

Igbo [historically Ibo]; Oratta Ibo

Named Person

Photographer

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

Collector / Expedition

Date

1936

Collection Name

Jones Collection

Source

Format

Print Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

P.170715.GIJ - P.170801.GIJ were located in an Ilford paper box, now numbered C762/.

P.170715.GIJ - P.170733.GIJ were located in a paper folder, now numbered C762/1, and are a sequence of images of the same Mbari house.

Bibliographical Reference: G.I. Jones describes Mbari sculptures on pp. 82-92 and Mbari house architecture on p. 104 in Jones G.I., 1984. The Art of Eastern Nigeria. (Cambridge: CUP). [PB 05/03/2024]