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Simon Ottenberg photographs of Limba and Afikpo Peoples

National Museum of African Art

Object Details

Photographer
Ottenberg, Simon
Collector
Ottenberg, Simon
Place
Nigeria
Sierra Leone
Guinea
Africa
Occupation
Weavers
Topic
Beadwork
Headdresses -- headgear -- Africa
Rites and ceremonies -- Africa
Clothing and dress -- Africa
Cultural landscapes
Music
Dance
Photographer
Ottenberg, Simon
Culture
Fulbe (African people)
Igbo (African people)
Mandingo (African people)
Limba (African people)
Fula (African people)
See more items in
Simon Ottenberg photographs of Limba and Afikpo Peoples
Summary
The collection primarily includes photographs of Limba peoples taken by anthropologist Simon Ottenberg during field research in northern Sierra Leone within Bafodea Town, the capital of Wara Wara Bafodea Chiefdom, and Guinea, from October 1978 through July 1980. The collection also includes photographs taken while conducting field research at an Afikpo village-group, in southeastern Nigeria, from January 30, 1988 to February 5, 1988 and in 1992.
Biographical / Historical
Simon Ottenberg (1923-) is Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at the University of Washington. He studied under Melville J. Herskovits and William R. Bascom at Northwestern University. He was a 1970 Guggenheim fellow. He has written at least seven scholarly books and has curated numerous exhibitions.
Extent
3145 Slides (photographs) (color)
Date
between 1978-1992
Custodial History
16 photographs taken by Pa Huff, a Wesleyan Methodist Minister, at Bafodea old town and new town were donated to Ottenberg in 1999 by former field assistant Paul Hamaidu Mansaray.
Archival Repository
Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art
Identifier
EEPA.2005-001
Type
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Slides (photographs)
Color slides
Black-and-white transparencies
Arrangement note
The collection is arranged into two series by peoples, and further arranged by location. Arrangement Series 1: Limba Peoples, Sierra Leone and Guinea, 1978-1980 Subseries 1.1: Field Research, Year One, October 1978-August 1979 Subseries 1.2: Field Research, Year Two, September 1979-1980 Series 2: Afikpo Peoples, Guinea and Nigeria, 1988, 1992
Processing Information
Finding aid by Eden Orelove, 2018. Slides digitized in 2017.
Rights
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws. Photographs by Pa Huff, Hamaidu Mansaray, and Labelle Prussin are restricted. In these cases, the photographer's permission is required for access and publication of images.
Genre/Form
Color slides
Black-and-white transparencies
Scope and Contents
The collection primarily includes photographs of Limba peoples taken by anthropologist Simon Ottenberg during field research in northern Sierra Leone within Bafodea Town, the capital of Wara Wara Bafodea Chiefdom, and Guinea, from October 1978 through July 1980. The collection also includes photographs taken while conducting field research at Afikpo village-groups in Guinea and southeastern Nigeria, from January 30, 1988 to February 5, 1988 and in 1992. There are also some photographs by Pa Huff, a Wesleyan Methodist Minister, Venice Lamb, and Professor Labelle Prussin.
Restrictions
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Related Archival Materials note
Related EEPA collections include: EEPA 1996-020 and EEPA 1994-012 (video-recorded interviews conducted by Ottenberg), and EEPA 2000-007 (photographs taken in Southeastern Nigeria within the Afikpo Village Group). Simon Ottenberg Papers are located at the National Anthropological Archives, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.
Related link
Record ID
ebl-1536868297930-1536868298400-0
Metadata Usage
CC0

In the Collection

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  • Girls, elaborately dressed and covered with heavy oil, return from the stream to the village for a last, very controlled dance during final initiation phase, called "washing hands" or "turning" kakunutu, Kayago Village, Sierra Leone

  • Mohamed Bangura, a wood carver, making an animal figure, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Village meeting place, called barrie, Telia Village, Sierra Leone

  • Knife and bell used as protective charm, called saraka, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Tapping palm wine, near Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Leather and metal charm worn around the neck belonging to the late Pa Bayo Mansaray, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Front of three hu ronko shirts stamped by Dunto, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Street scene, looking south, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Mohamed Bangura, a wood carver, making an standing female figure, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Hu ronko shirt prepared by Sunkiye, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Cloth and leather protective charms, called saraka, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Communal farm work at the farm, Seredugu Village, Sierra Leone

  • Carved figure depicting a gun, made by Bokaru Mansaray, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Carved Gbangbani men's secret society gong, inside blacksmith shed, Kakoya Village, Sierra Leone

  • Boys "Devil" dancing group, Kakoya Village, Sierra Leone

  • Painted mask carved by Mohamed Bangura, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Shrine with a sitting area made of stones, abandoned Bafodea old site, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Kuhai gourd used as protective charm, with mirror, cowrie shells, and porcupine quills, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Decorated wood storage box belonging to Alimamy Salifu Mansaray, Chief of Wara Wara Bafodea Chiefdom, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Gara dyed native cloth, woven by Fulbe men, dyed by Maninka women, Koin, Guinea

  • The weaver, Pa Modi, laying out European black and native white warp thread, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Musician playing flexible under-arm skin drum, called hutamba, Seredugu Village, Sierra Leone

  • Bindi Market

  • Muslims departing the prayer ground, Salikene day, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Ceremony of measuring the cloth to be used by boy, to be initiated, in the bush, part of the preliminary activities of Limba intiation rites, Sirekude Village, Sierra Leone

  • Small standing female figure, carved by a Limba artist, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Abandoned Bafodea old site, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Limba boys, whistle in mouth, wear their elaborate initiation dance dress and beaded band hanging down the front of their chests. They will perform acrobatic dance for their initiation rite, Gbondokali, shortly before going to the bush, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Limba man wearing hu ronko shirt, Kamanda Village, Sierra Leone

  • Narrow strip native white band woven by the weaver Momodu Conde, Kamanda Village, Sierra Leone

  • The photographer's shadow, Kakoya Village, Sierra Leone

  • Back of hu ronko shirt prepared by Bokari Mansaray, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Limba elderly woman spinning cotton thread, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Mother and child with knitted hat, at child naming ceremony, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • View of the village from the old site, Kakoya Village, Sierra Leone

  • Gara dyed native leggings prepared and worn by Sunkiye, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Limba women, accompanied by male musicians, weeding rice field in the Mantia River swamp area, near Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Girls wearing beaded headbands for their preinitiation dance, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Mohamed Bangura, a wood carver, making an standing female figure, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Limba boys, in dress typically worn during the weeks preceding their initiation dance, practice their acrobatic dance Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Equipment for rolling thead, near Hindia Village, Guinea

  • Decorated snuff box, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Mayoi musical group at memorial for a non-Muslim Limba village head, Kadanso Village, Sierra Leone

  • Gara dyed clothes belonging to the late Imam of Bafodea Town, on display for sale, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Samba carrying water from the pipe faucet, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Cloth band, alternating stripes of native and European white warp thread, Kamanda Village, Sierra Leone

  • Abandoned Bafodea old site and Mission Hill, near Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Mandingo musician with his balaphon at memorial for a non-Muslim Limba village head, Kadanso Village, Sierra Leone

  • Kamadendena Village, Sierra Leone

  • Two arrows bought from Salifu Mansaray, son of the former Town Chief of Bafodea Town, Mamadu Mansaray, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Street scene, looking north, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • View of the abandoned Kakoya old site, Kakoya Village, Sierra Leone

  • Small decorated wood slit gong used by initiated boys at the end of their bush period. Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • An old board prepared in the traditional way with an adze, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Eight pottery pieces found in Bafodea Town old site, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Mohamed Bangura, a wood carver, making an standing female figure, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Warp native thread roll woven by Pa Modi, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Kaparana, a Fulbe blacksmith, and his sons, at work, Kamabungbu village, Sierra Leone

  • Koin, Guinea

  • Limba boy, wearing his initiation dance dress, performs acrobatic dance for his initiation rite, Gbondokali, shortly before going to the bush, Kadanso Village, Sierra Leone

  • Village Chief, Yogobay Village, Sierra Leone

  • Shrine at edge of the village, Kayago Village, Sierra Leone

  • Kunkuma musical ensemble performing at a memorial, also called second funeral, for a deceased woman, Kakonso Village, Sierra Leone

  • Soda performing with Mayoi musical group at memorial for a non-Muslim Limba village head, Kadanso Village, Sierra Leone

  • Suma Mannio Mansaray making a fana used to shake rice free from chaff, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Cloth made by the Fulbe weaver Mabo, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Drum belonging to the village chief, used only for announcement, and Kuboli, a wood mask worn by a messenger of the men secret society, appearing publicly during the last day of the preinitiation period for boys, Seredugu Village, Sierra Leone

  • New road between Sokerella site and Sirekude Village, Sirekude Village, Sierra Leone

  • Pa Sori Barrie making women hair pieces called kubala, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Different types of groundnuts (peanuts), Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Tamoi, a female dancer, performing with kukangtan musical group at a memorial, also called second funeral, for a deceased person, Kakpongpon Village, Sierra Leone

  • Mohamed Bangura, a wood carver, making an animal figure, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Mohamed Bangura, a wood carver, making an animal figure, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Carol Barnard Ottenberg, the author's wife, Freetown, Sierra Leone

  • Hu ronko shirt stamped by Pa Wosi Conteh, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Cloth band, alternating stripes of native and European white warp thread, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • The weaver, Suma Mannio Mansaray, rewinding thread, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Back of an hu ronko shirt dyed by Dunto, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Animal figure depicting a bird, carved by a local artist, Freetown, Sierra Leone

  • Acrobatic dance performed by boy to be initiated, preceding the night before going to the bush, Sirekude Village, Sierra Leone

  • Boy wearing undyed native shirt, Kamanda Village, Sierra Leone

  • Bakunto, a men's secret society (Gbangbani) gong, inside Yeredi Mansaray blacksmith shed, Kamagbembe village, Sierra Leone

  • Daba Kamara firing clay pots, Kamanda Village, Sierra Leone

  • The newly crowned Youth Leader, Alpha Musa, carried in a hammock, Kadanso Village, Sierra Leone

  • Hu ronko shirt stamped by Sunkiye, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Prayer area outside traditional dwellings, Kambia Village, Sierra Leone

  • Sword belonging to the late Bafodea Town Chief, Mamadu Mansaray, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • The weaver, Pa Modi, rolling hale thread on to shuttle stick, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Woman waistband made of native cloth, Sirekude Village, Sierra Leone

  • Bow and arrows, Koin, Guinea

  • Small decorated wood slit gongs used by initiated boys at the end of their bush period. Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Triangle cut-out designs on outside wall of house, Kambalia Village, Sierra Leone

  • Seven band sleeveless shirt with gara striped thread, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Narrow strip native band woven by a Limba weaver, Yomaya Village, Guinea

  • Carved Gbangbani men's secret society horn, with cowrie shells, Sierra Leone

  • Decorative ornaments made by a Fulbe artist, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Small native cloth bag partially completed by the weaver Suma Mannio Mansaray, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • The weaver Pa Modi displaying blanket he made, using cotton warp and weft from second-hand wool sweaters, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • The weaver Brema Tarawale putting layed out thread onto his heddles, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Natural landscape around the village, near Hindia Village, Guinea

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Silver rings worn on left hand fingers of Alimamy Salifu Mansaray, Chief of Wara Wara Bafodea Chiefdom, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone
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