IDNO

P.170961.GIJ

Description

A clay sculpture of a mother figure sitting on a plinth on the outer wall of an Mbari house. The figure is wearing a striped short-sleeved shirt and white shorts and shoes. She has black parted hair and oval-shaped earrings, with a cross figurine on her upper chest. She holds a child in her arms, who is wearing a conical hat and a necklet with a cross figurine. Behind the figures is a stepped buttress, painted with geometric patterns. To the right of the image is a seated male figure wearing a cardigan and a tie, shorts and shoes and smoking a pipe. In the background are the painted doors of the inner room of the house. [Description from record P.762002.GIJ, PB 10/05/2024]

Place

W Africa; Nigeria; Southeast Nigeria; Owerri North; Imo; Ulakwo town

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 Mounted

Primary Documentation

Other Information

P.170921.GIJ - P.171076.GIJ were located together in a brown box, now numbered C766/.

P.170934.GIJ - P.171076.GIJ were located in a paper folder now numbered C766/3/.

P.170957.GIJ - P.170962.GIJ are mounted together.

Bibliographical Reference: G.I. Jones explains 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 09/05/2024]

Context: Detailed notes by G.I. Jones on this house, each figure and the house plan are in the paper folder C766/1. The numbers 1 - 33 on print reverse and mounts relate to these notes and the plan indicates the positions of the figures. [PB 09/05/2024]