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Member of the senior Afikpo subgrade laying the foundation stone in the construction of the ancestral shrine house, Mma obu (ancestor-rest house), in Ezi Akputa compound, Mgbom village, Afikpo Village-Group, Nigeria

African Art Museum

Member of the senior Afikpo subgrade laying the foundation stone in the construction of the ancestral shrine house, Mma obu (ancestor-rest house), in Ezi Akputa compound, Mgbom village, Afikpo Village-Group, Nigeria
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Object Details

sova.eepa.2000-007_ref732
GUID
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/xo71e9facd7-b86a-4479-8085-8bda1247b289
Local Numbers
O-253/1951-1953 EEPA 2000-070224
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
Religious buildings
Shrines
Rites and ceremonies -- Africa
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 2000-007-0224
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, "The eldest man in the compound, a member of the senior Afikpo age group Oni Ekara, laying the foundation stone in the construction of the patrilineal ancestral shrine house, obu in Ezi Akputa compound, Mgbom Village. His age rank is indicated by the red cap he wears. Under this stone the founder of Ezi Akputa is said to have first made sacrifice when he came to found the compound." [Ottenberg field research notes, O Series, December 1951-March 1953].
"The Afikpo elders, Nde ici ehugbo (people-old-Afikpo), form one large grade that is the major traditional ruling element in Afikpo today. This elders' grade is divided into three subgrades and age category. Among the three, the senior subgrade, oni ekara, consists of very elderly individuals from various parts of Afikpo. The oni ekara wear knit red woolen caps as a mark of rank. They are considered to be between the living and the dead, and closest to the world of the ancestors. They are greatly respected. They also carry leather bags slung over their shoulders, and whenever their advice is desired by any Afikpo, it is customary to give them a gift of a penny or two before asking them to speak. They are often priests of shrines, for example, the patrilineal ancestral shrine, Mma obu, where the person chosen as priest is sometimes the oldest lineage person." [Ottenberg S., 1971: Leader and Authority 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.
Other Archival Materials
Simon Ottenberg Papers are located at the National Anthropological Archives, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.
EEPA.2000-007_ref732
Large EAD
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/xo71e9facd7-b86a-4479-8085-8bda1247b289
EEPA.2000-007
EEPA
Record ID
ebl-1536864686513-1536864686744-0

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