Source: @ukpuru
Source notes [1,2,6] : “An exterior door (ḿgbó èzí) carved in a traditional Nri-Awka style, Igbo peoples, Nigeria, 19th—20th century. Photo by Zbigniew Dmochowski, 1960s”
Source notes [3] : “Section of door at the main entrance of Nri compound, northern Igboland, Nigeria, July 1978. Photo by Nancy C. Neaher”
Source notes [4] : “Heavy wood door from Igboland, 19th-20th century. This entrance door, ḿgbó èzí, likely comes from the Nri-Oka (Nri-Awka) area in northern Igboland which has a strong tradition of highly elaborate carved gateways for enclosed compounds, particularly of titled men. The patterns on the doors combine the visual elements of ichi facial markings and appropriate and masculinise conventionally feminine uli designs. Their size and artistic decoration reflected the grandeur of the òbí, the central male meeting building of titled men and thus the status, wealth, and social influence of the family head. Such doors often protected shrines visited by travellers hoping to obtain success and good luck. Highly skilled professional carvers are responsible for crafting doors; those working in Awka are the best known where they are made by men of certain umunna, patrilineages, who also make wooden panels, shrine imagery, and other ritual objects. The Nigerian-Biafran war heavily disrupted Igbo arts, before the war ḿgbó èzí were much more numerous… — Nancy C. Neaher”
Source notes [5] : “Uli motifs via Chike Aniakor (1978) from the north-central Igbo area”
