IDNO

P.170778.GIJ

Description

Two clay figures, one male and the other female, sitting in the interior of an Mbari house. The male figure is facing the camera. He is a diviner. He has a conical striped hat, and a cloth wrapped around his waist. In each hand he holds a rattle. Between his legs are various objects including a small bowl in which there are beads or seeds. The female figure, his client, is in side profile. She has hair curled in waves. He arms are raised. She is wearing a cloth around her waist and a short-sleeved blouse with a mesh pattern which covers her neck. The wall in the background is decorated with painted rectangular shapes of different shades. To the left is a vertical line of painted triangular shapes. To the right is a wall painted with large triangular shapes of different shades.[PB 15/03/2024]

Place

W Africa; Nigeria; Southeast Nigeria; Imo state; Owerri; Ngor; Umuhu Ngor

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.170772.GIJ - P.170801.GIJ were located in a paper folder, now numbered C762/5, and are a sequence of images of the same Mbari house.

Publication: Image published in Jones, G.I., 1984. The Art of Eastern Nigeria, (Cambridge: CUP), fig. 25. p. 91, and captioned "Lady consulting diviner: Mbari house. Umuhu Ngor. Oratta Ibo." [PB 15/03/2024]

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]