Object Details
- Local Numbers
- O-153/1951-1953 EEPA 2000-070136
- General
- Title source: Dr. Simon Ottenberg, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
- Photographer
- Ottenberg, Simon
- Collection Photographer
- Ottenberg, Simon
- Place
- Africa
- Nigeria
- Topic
- Cultural landscapes
- Vernacular architecture
- Shrines
- Photographer
- Ottenberg, Simon
- Culture
- Igbo (African people)
- See more items in
- Simon Ottenberg photographs
- Extent
- 1 Slide (col.)
- Date
- 1951-1953
- Custodial History
- Donated by Simon Ottenberg, 2000.
- Archival Repository
- Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art
- Identifier
- EEPA.2000-007, Item EEPA 2000-007-0136
- Type
- Archival materials
- Slides
- Color slides
- Collection Rights
- Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
- Genre/Form
- Color slides
- Scope and Contents
- This photograph was taken by Dr. Simon Ottenberg while conducting field research at Afikpo village-group, southeastern Nigeria, from December 1951 to March 1953.
- Original title reads, "Gate, Ezi Nwachi compound Ndibe Village, with cement statue of supposed founder of the village, Nwachi Egwu. Each new moon Ezi Nwachi men change the gate to the other side. Note the mud or cement shrine (erosi) under the statue. Ndibe is a very large and old village, and this compound is huge for Afikpo." [Ottenberg field research notes, O Series, December 1951-March 1953].
- "Mkpoghoro is also called Ndibe, though this term is more correctly applied to its main section. It is by far the biggest Afikpo village, with a total of population of 3,862. Ndibe, composed of two main wards, Agbogo and Elogo, and one smaller ward, has, in 1960, a population of 2,040, and the remainder of the village is formed from five subvillages. These subvillages have considerable autonomy, so much so that the village is on the border between being one large village or six settlements. The evident attraction and domination of its main settlement, Ndibe, in matters of authority and ritual are sufficient for it to be considered one large, influential village. Mkpoghoro claims it was the first Aro group to come to Afikpo, the first to possess the otosi shrines and to have the special powers of the Amadi. Since at least 1920, the Mkpoghoro subgroup in afikpo has had its own yam priest and elom ji shrine located in Ezi Nwachi, the founding lineage of Ndibe." [Ottenberg S., 1968: Double Descent in an African Society; the Afikpo Village-Group. University of Washington Press].
- Collection Restrictions
- Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
- Record ID
- ebl-1536864686513-1536864686727-3
