The Iwu festival is the most culturally significant event in Ubulu Kingdom's life, steeped deeply in its historical beginnings. It has its origin from two of the early settlers of…
Small group of Igbo wood-masked dancers in various raffia and leaf costumes, Ugwuoba village, Nigeria.' Simon Ottenberg, 1959. Smithsonian.
In 1959, anthropologist Simon Ottenberg documented a small group of Igbo wood-masked…
Igbo Atilogwu performance, Enugu, 17 March 1990. Photo by Tim Graham.
Igbo Atilogwu is a vibrant and energetic traditional dance performance from the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria, significantly in the…
Ndi-Ichie with Okpu Ogịdị, Ofala Festival, Onitsha photo by @Owusi on X/Twitter.
An Ndi-Ichie [titled elders] of Onicha (Onitsha) wearing an ogidi headdress also referred to as nnukwu okpu or the…
Importance of Kolanuts in Igboland
In Igbo culture, kolanuts hold spiritual and symbolic significance. The number of cotyledons (lobes) on a kolanut determines its importance each type associated with different…
Aminikoro mask Ogbukele festival, Ekpafia Igbo - G.I. Jones, 1930s
The Aminikoro Mask and the Ogbukele Festival are cultural elements primarily associated with the Ijaw people, The Ekpeye "Ekpafia,” which is…
Left: Titled Igbo woman with full-face ichi marks, Iwollo, 1983. Photo: Herbert Cole. Right: 'Igbo Ukwu' female figure, c. 9th century CE
Titled Igbo Woman with Ichi Marks, Iwollo, Ezeagu in…
Okpoha Ngodo performance at Okpoha Village-Group, an Igbo village-group northwest of Afikpo, 1959-60. Photo: Simon Ottenberg.
Okpoha Ngodo is a traditional Igbo performance art form, combining: Music (drums, flutes), Dance, Theater…
Egu Ukele dance tradition and music of ndi Ukwuani, maintains deep historical and cultural significance
Egu Ukele played an important role in the resilience of Ndi Ogume against external factors,…
Notable Omu in Anioma.
In Western Igbo towns (Anioma), traditional female leaders, known as Ómù, held significant authority alongside their male counterparts. This dual-sex leadership system, undermined by colonialism, ensured harmonious…