IDNO

P.171781.GIJ

Description

A close up of a clay sculpture in a side gallery of an Mbari house. The sculpture represents a vain woman holding a mirror and dressing her hair. She holds the mirror in her right hand, while she touches her hair with her left. Her hair is bunched into a comb on the top of her head, with curved 'horns' of hair from side of head and back of neck meeting to form half rings. Her torso and neck are decorated with uli fine parallel lines with small geometric symbols on her forearms, chin, cheeks and forehead. She has a thong with a single cylindrical bead around her neck. The mirror is painted with a white background and a geometric pattern in black. [Description from record P.170719.GIJ, PB 14/11/2024]

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.171730.GIJ - P.171808.GIJ were located together in an 'University of Camridge' envelope, now numbered C841/.

Publication: Image published in Jones G.I. The Art of Eastern Nigeria. (Cambridge: CUP), Fig. 24 p 90, and captioned "Lady with mirror".

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).

Bibliographical Reference: H.M. Cole describes Mbari houses and sculptures in Cole H.M., 1982. Mbari: Art and Life among the Owerri Igbo, (Bloomington: Indiana University Press).