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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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  • Limba man wearing Muslim dress called tuntola, Kamabonsi Village, Sierra Leone

  • Women and children beating dried bean pods, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

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

  • Secular Limba musical ensemble known as Poro, Sirekude Village, Sierra Leone

  • View of vendors sheds, Bindi market, Sierra Leone

  • Standing human figure depicting a drummer, carved by a Limba boy, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Sakuta Village, Sierra Leone

  • Decorated wood storage box, Kadanso village, Sierra Leone

  • Abandoned Kakoya old site, Kakoya village, Sierra Leone

  • Limba Peoples, Sierra Leone and Guinea

  • Limba boy, wearing his initiation dance dress and beaded band hanging down the front of his chest, waits to perform acrobatic dance for his initiation rite, Gbondokali, shortly before going to the bush, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Beads of European facture, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Kuboli, a wood mask worn by a messenger of the men secret society, Seredugu Village, Sierra Leone

  • Young adult males threshing rice at the farm belonging to Pa Suma Mannio Mansaray, near Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

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

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

  • Women dancing and singing around the new village chief during his crowning ceremony, Kakpongpon Village, Sierra Leone

  • Rainbow, a large, youthful contemporary ensemble performing music, dance, song and masquerade, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Mural decorations on outside wall of traditional round house, Sirekude Village, Sierra Leone

  • Blue scarf, gara dyed 5-band, native thread, made by Yoyo Conteh, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Muslim protective charm, called hatumere, Kakonso Village, Sierra Leone

  • Drum stick used with the long drum called kusung, Siemamaya Village, Sierra Leone

  • Road work, near Telia Village, Sierra Leone

  • The weaver, Alymamy Mansaray, weaving at his standing loom, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Natural landscape near abandoned Kakoya old site, Kakoya village, Sierra Leone

  • Three gara design stamps used by Ali Kamara, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Members of the women secret society, Bondo, returning from the bush with the kampa platform, Kakonso village, Sierra Leone

  • Loading rice bags into Land Rover at Mantia River swamp area, near Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Farm work group clearing the fields, Kamagbembe Village, Sierra Leone

  • Small basket with separate lid for salt, pepper, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Carved cane with standing female figure at the top, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Women's group of several older women, Baherindo, imitating the dead chief, at memorial for a non-Muslim Limba village head, Kadanso Village, Sierra Leone

  • Three earrings bought at Bindi market, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Groundnuts drying, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Roll of European and native thread, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • At the end of their bush period, initiated boys, wearing their brown native cloths and native cloth cap, announce to friends and relatives that their initiation is just about finished. They also carry on their shoulder a small decorated wood slit gong. Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Members of the women secret society, Bondo, dancing and singing after the female initiands has been moved off into the bush, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Round houses with thatched roofs, Kamarana Village, Sierra Leone

  • Kambalia Village, Sierra Leone

  • Limba woman playing horn to call farm work group in for lunch near Kamatemgbe farm, outside of Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Protective charms at a shrine used by farm work group, Seredugu Village, Sierra Leone

  • Limba drummers accompanying Gbondokali musical ensemble at boys pre-initiation dance, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Bands of white native cloth sewed together with thread, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Girls on their way to collect sand, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Woman holding decorated gourd spoon, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Fulbe musical ensemble, from the old Kamuke Chiefdom, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • The weaver, Sori Mansaray, weaving with stand-up loom, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • The weaver, Suma Mannio Mansaray, laying out the thread, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Ceremony of measuring the cloth to be used by the boys in the bush, part of the preliminary activities of Limba intiation rites, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

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

  • The weaver, Suma Mannio Mansaray, weaving at his standing loom, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Three of the shuttles used by the Fulbe weaver Mabo, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • The weaver, Pa Modi, rewinding threat for putting on the shuttle sticks, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Standing loom used by the weaver Momodu Kamara, Sakuta Village, Sierra Leone

  • Mohamed Bangura coloring a duck figure he carved, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Limba weaver putting black thread on a boat, near Hindia Village, Guinea

  • Shiny clay black pot, Diara Village, Guinea

  • The weaver, Alymamy Mansaray, weaving at his standing loom, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Muslim protective charm, called hatumere, at the house of Pay Yaya, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Hassan, the Sanitary inspector, wearing European cloth stamped by Pa Wosi Conteh, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • The weaver, Pay Yaya, weaving on sit-down permanent seat loom, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Limba women weeding rice field near Kamatemgbe farm, outside of Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

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

  • Talabi mask performer, part of a "Devil" dancing group, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Girls, with elaborate hairstyles and colored beaded headbands, perform a last, very controlled dance during final initiation phase, called "washing hands" or "turning" kakunutu, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Fulbe musician performing at the Muslim prayer ground, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Girl, wearing colored kuta headband, dancing before samburi drums at her initiation dance, Kadanso Village, Sierra Leone

  • 7-band wrap-around cloth, called tika, from the old Kamuke Chiefdom, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Young adult males cutting grass down in a swamp area, near Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Pa Wosi Conteh planting cassava sticks at the Mantia River area, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Yoyo Mansaray making a fish trap, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Protective charms at a shrine used by farm work group, Seredugu Village, Sierra Leone

  • Ceremony of measuring the cloth to be used by the boys in the bush, part of the preliminary activities of Limba intiation rites, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Grave of the first Sirekude Village head, Sirekude Village, Sierra Leone

  • Decorated corn cob made by Salifu Mansaray, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

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

  • Carving figure by the artist Lamina Kamara, Kakpongpon village, Sierra Leone

  • At the end of their bush period, initiated boys, coming out to their community in single file, wearing their brown native cloths and native cloth cap. They also carry on their shoulder a small decorated wood slit gong. Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Girls, elaborately dressed and covered with heavy oil, are about to perform a last, very controlled dance during final initiation phase, called "washing hands" or "turning" kakunutu, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • House roof blown off after a storm, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Drums and balaphons belonging to various Limba Village chiefs, displayed together at the memorial for a non-Muslim Limba village head, Kadanso Village, Sierra Leone

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

  • Standing human figures, carved by a Limba boy, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Boy, whistle in mouth, in initiation dance costume from the northern area of the chiefdom, showing the cowry-shell face-piece, Kamabonsi Village, Sierra Leone

  • Limba woman, Yenba Mansaray, with body scarifications, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Momodu Kamara crocheting a wool hat, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Beater, boat and pulley used by weavers among the Yalunka people, Falaba Town, Sierra Leone

  • Decorated wood storage box used by a blacksmith, Kakonso village, Sierra Leone

  • Girls, wearing colored beaded headband, dancing and singing at their preinitiation dance, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Low single-pole loom used by the weaver Momodu Conde, Kamanda Village, Sierra Leone

  • Clay pots made by Daba Kamara, Kamanda Village, Sierra Leone

  • Second-hand wool hats for sale at the city market, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • The kututeng, a small rectangular metal lamellaphone, with nine to thirteen slender metal tongues, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Special ceremony before intiation for the daughter of Suma Tango, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

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

  • Standing female figure, carved by Salifu Mansaray, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Decorated wood storage box made by the Fulbe blacksmith Kaparana, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • Special ceremony for a twin boy who is to be initiated, Kamabonsi Village, Sierra Leone

  • Beaded waist band, Bafodea Town, Sierra Leone

  • At preinitiation dance, boys helpers wearing protective charms called saraka, Kadanso Village, Sierra Leone

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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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