An Igbo man photographed by British government anthropologist Northcote Thomas in the 1910s, the markings on his face are known as ichi which is worn by men and young boys as part of initiation into the the Nze na Ozo society, a society originally consisting of priests. The marks were also referred to as ogba…
Igbo Men with Mgburuichi from Nri. Photographed by Northcote Thomas, c. 1910-1911. Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge
Before the incursion of Christian missionary activity into Igbo society, this ichi marking was an important protective mechanism for its bearers against the convoluted social fabrics in Igbo society. Those with distinctive facial scars were partly immune from…