Nigerian National Museum

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Nigerian National Museum
Garden in front of museum (6349971557).jpg
View of the museum's exterior
Nigerian National Museum
Established1957
LocationOnikan, Lagos Island, Lagos, Nigeria
CollectionsNigerian art, including pieces of statuary and carvings and archaeological and ethnographic exhibits
Founder Kenneth Murray

The Nigerian National Museum is a national museum of Nigeria, located in the city of Lagos. The museum has a notable collection of Nigerian art, including pieces of statuary, carvings also archaeological and ethnographic exhibits. [1] Of note is a terracotta human head known as the Jemaa Head (c. 900 to 200 BC), part of the Nok culture. The piece is named after Jema'a, the village where it was discovered. [2] [3] [4] [5] The museum is located at Onikan, Lagos Island, Lagos State. The museum is administered by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments. [6] [7]

Contents

History

In July 1948, the first architectural sketches of the museum were submitted to a conference on museum policy in Nigeria. [8] The museum was founded in 1957 by the English archaeologist Kenneth Murray. [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] The main purpose of constructing this museum was to preserve different historical artifacts of Nigeria. [14] [15] Kenneth Murray had collected several traditional masks from Cross River State, these masks were displayed in the museum. [16] [17] [18] During the first decade of the museum's existence, the British Museum gave the Nigerian National Museum two plaques and other artifacts. [19] [20] [21] [22] In 2018, a virtual tour of the museum was added using an adapted version of Google Street View along with other tourist sites in Nigeria. [23]

Collections

The museum houses the collections of artifacts belonging to different cultures of the ethnic groups in Nigeria. The size of the collection is estimated at 47,000 objects, [24] [25] made of different materials such as wood, ivory, metal and terracotta. The artifacts include masks, textiles, drums, dane guns and wooden figures. [26] Among the artifacts, in the Yoruba section, the museum includes Egungun costumes and clay pots. [27] The museum has a collection of statues dating from different periods of Nigeria's history. [28]

The museum also houses traditional musical instruments such as sansas, fiddles and flutes. [29] The museum also contains divination bowls and ancestral figures made of wood, including Mumuye figures, which are used by communities in Adamawa State as well as Ikengas wooden figures, which are part of the Igbo culture. Additionally, the museum also contains a collection of masks including Ekpo masks from Calabar and Gẹlẹdẹ wooden masks. [30]

The museum contains jewelry and crafts, as well as a collection of textiles including Akwete cloth and other textiles from the Okene, Bida and Western States areas of Nigeria. [31]

The museum has displayed works of art by Nigerian artists such as Nike Davies-Okundaye, Abiodun Olaku, Djakow Kassi, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Bolaji Ogunwo, Yusuf Durodola, Chinze Ojobo, [32] Nosa Iyobhabha, Duke Asidere, [33] Ben Enwonwu, Nathaniel Hodonu, [34] Northcote W. Thomas, Kelani Abass [35] and Elizabeth Ekpetorson. [36] In 2012, the museum presented an exhibition featuring artwork by artist Ndidi Dike. [37] [38] [39] [40] In November 2019, the museum organized an exhibition with art pieces by German-Nigerian artist Ngozi Schommers. [41] [42] [43] The museum contains ancient crowns, Royal regalias, artifacts belonging to the Kingdom of Benin, cultural objects belonging to the Ibibio people, Igbo-Ukwu bronze artifacts, stone monoliths of the Oron culture [44] and terracottas belonging to the Nok culture. [45] [46] [47] The museum also contains photographs of the different presidents of the states of Nigeria. [48] In the textile section, there is a collection of batik fabrics. [49] The museum also has Ere figurines., [24] photographs on the colonization of Nigeria [35] and exhibits related to the culture of Ifẹ, an ancient Yoruba city. [29]

The museum contains a variety of sculptures. Among these are the grave sculptures of the Dakakari people who inhabit Sokoto State. These types of sculptures are used in graves to commemorate the death of an important person such as a warrior, social leader or a chief. The museum also contains a sculpture of a Sukur woman in traditional dress from Adamawa State. At the entrance of the museum, also with a sculpture of a deity called Chukwu, of Igbo spirituality. The museum also houses stone sculptures of the Ekoi people. [34] The museum also has sculptures of animals that are used in different cultures of the ethnic groups of Nigeria. [50]

In her travel book, Looking for Transwonderland, writer Noo Saro-Wiwa visits the museum and describes its impact on her. [51]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Nigeria</span> Country in West Africa

The history of Nigeria can be traced to the earliest inhabitants whose remains date from at least 13,000 BC through early civilizations such as the Nok culture which began around 1500 BC. Numerous ancient African civilizations settled in the region that is known today as Nigeria, such as the Kingdom of Nri, the Benin Empire, and the Oyo Empire. Islam reached Nigeria through the Bornu Empire between and Hausa Kingdom during the 11th century, while Christianity came to Nigeria in the 15th century through Augustinian and Capuchin monks from Portugal to the Kingdom of Warri. The Songhai Empire also occupied part of the region. Through contact with Europeans, early harbour towns such as Calabar, Badagry and Bonny emerged along the coast after 1480, which did business in the transatlantic slave trade, among other things. Conflicts in the hinterland, such as the civil war in the Oyo Empire, meant that new enslaved people were constantly being "supplied".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Igbo people</span> Ethnic group in Southern Nigeria

The Igbo people are an ethnic group in Nigeria. They are primarily found in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States. A sizable Igbo population is also found in Delta and Rivers States. Ethnic Igbo populations are found in Cameroon, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea, as migrants as well as outside Africa. There has been much speculation about the origins of the Igbo people, which are largely unknown. Geographically, the Igbo homeland is divided into two unequal sections by the Niger River—an eastern and a western section. The Igbo people are one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African art</span> Art originating from indigenous Africans or the African continent

African art describes the modern and historical paintings, sculptures, installations, and other visual culture from native or indigenous Africans and the African continent. The definition may also include the art of the African diasporas, such as: African-American, Caribbean or art in South American societies inspired by African traditions. Despite this diversity, there are unifying artistic themes present when considering the totality of the visual culture from the continent of Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nok culture</span> Ancient civilization of Nigeria

The Nok culture is a population whose material remains are named after the Ham village of Nok in southern Kaduna State of Nigeria, where their terracotta sculptures were first discovered in 1928. The Nok people and the Gajiganna people may have migrated from the Central Sahara, along with pearl millet and pottery, diverged prior to arriving in the northern region of Nigeria, and thus, settled in their respective locations in the region of Gajiganna and Nok. Nok people may have also migrated from the West African Sahel to the region of Nok. Nok culture may have emerged in 1500 BCE and continued to persist until 1 BCE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Igboland</span> Cultural region in Nigeria

Igboland, also known as Southeastern Nigeria, is the indigenous homeland of the Igbo people. It is a cultural and common linguistic region in southern Nigeria. Geographically, it is divided into two sections by the lower Niger River: an eastern and a western one. Its population is characterised by the diverse Igbo culture and the speakers of equally diverse Igbo languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Igbo-Ukwu</span> Place in Anambra, Nigeria

Igbo-Ukwu is a town in the Nigerian state of Anambra in the south-central part of the country. The town comprises three quarters namely Obiuno, Ngo, and Ihite with several villages within each quarter and thirty-six (36) administrative wards. It is also bordered by Ora-eri, Ichida, Azigbo, Ezinifite, Amichi, Isuofia, Ikenga and some other towns.

Chike C. Aniakor is a Nigerian artist, art historian, author, and poet whose work addresses philosophical, political, and religious themes relating to Igbo society and the Nigerian Civil War. His artworks are held in major metropolitan museums including the Smithsonian Institution, Nigerian National Gallery of Art, and the Museum fur Volkerkunde in Frankfurt. Aniakor is a prolific writer and has authored over 75 books and articles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African sculpture</span> Rarely conserved bronze and wooden figures and wooden masks

Most African sculpture was historically in wood and other organic materials that have not survived from earlier than at most a few centuries ago; older pottery figures are found from a number of areas. Masks are important elements in the art of many peoples, along with human figures, often highly stylized. There is a vast variety of styles, often varying within the same context of origin depending on the use of the object, but wide regional trends are apparent; sculpture is most common among "groups of settled cultivators in the areas drained by the Niger and Congo rivers" in West Africa. Direct images of African deities are relatively infrequent, but masks in particular are or were often made for traditional African religious ceremonies; today many are made for tourists as "airport art". African masks were an influence on European Modernist art, which was inspired by their lack of concern for naturalistic depiction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Nigeria before 1500</span> History of Nigeria before 1500

The history of Nigeria before 1500 has been divided into its prehistory, Iron Age, and flourishing of its kingdoms and states. Acheulean tool-using archaic humans may have dwelled throughout West Africa since at least between 780,000 BP and 126,000 BP. Middle Stone Age West Africans likely dwelled continuously in West Africa between MIS 4 and MIS 2, and Iwo Eleru people persisted at Iwo Eleru as late as 13,000 BP. West African hunter-gatherers occupied western Central Africa earlier than 32,000 BP, dwelled throughout coastal West Africa by 12,000 BP, and migrated northward between 12,000 BP and 8000 BP as far as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Mauritania. The Dufuna canoe, a dugout canoe found in northern Nigeria has been dated to around 6556-6388 BCE and 6164-6005 BCE, making it the oldest known boat in Africa and the second oldest worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Igbo art</span> Traditional art of the Igbo people

Igbo art is any piece of visual art originating from the Igbo people. The Igbo produce a wide variety of art including traditional figures, masks, artifacts and textiles, plus works in metals such as bronze. Artworks from the Igbo have been found from as early as 9th century with the bronze artifacts found at Igbo Ukwu. With processes of colonialism and the opening of Nigeria to Western influences, the vocabulary of fine art and art history came to interact with established traditions. Therefore, the term can also refer to contemporary works of art produced in response to global demands and interactions.  

Igbo culture are the customs, practices and traditions of the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria. It consists of ancient practices as well as new concepts added into the Igbo culture either by cultural evolution or by outside influence. These customs and traditions include the Igbo people's visual art, music and dance forms, as well as their attire, cuisine and language dialects. Because of their various subgroups, the variety of their culture is heightened further.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Thurstan Shaw</span> English archaeologist (1914–2013)

Chief Charles Thurstan Shaw CBE FBA FSA was an English archaeologist, the first trained specialist to work in what was then British West Africa. He specialized in the ancient cultures of present-day Ghana and Nigeria. He helped establish academic institutions, including the Ghana National Museum and the archaeology department at the University of Ghana. He began working with the University of Ibadan in 1960, where he later founded and developed its archaeology department. He led this for more than 10 years before his retirement in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Gallery of Modern Art, Lagos</span> Art Museum in Lagos, Nigeria

The National Gallery of Modern Art, Lagos (NGMA) is a major art gallery in Lagos, the largest city of Nigeria. It is a permanent exhibition of the National Gallery of Art, a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation. The gallery is located within the National Arts Theatre, at Entrance B.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African art in Western collections</span> History of African art in Western collections

Some African objects had been collected by Europeans for centuries, and there had been industries producing some types, especially carvings in ivory, for European markets in some coastal regions. Between 1890 and 1918 the volume of objects greatly increased as Western colonial expansion in Africa led to the removal of many pieces of sub-Saharan African art that were subsequently brought to Europe and displayed. These objects entered the collections of natural history museums, art museums and private collections in Europe and the United States. About 90% of Africa's cultural heritage is believed to be located in Europe, according to French art historians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bronze Head from Ife</span> Sculpture from Ife

The Bronze Head from Ife, or Ife Head, is one of eighteen copper alloy sculptures that were unearthed in 1938 at Ife in Nigeria, the religious and former royal centre of the Yoruba people. It is believed to represent a king. It was probably made in the fourteenth-fifteenth century C.E. The realism and sophisticated craftsmanship of the objects challenged the offensive and patronising Western conceptions of African art. The naturalistic features of the Ife heads are unique and the stylistic similarities of these works "suggest that they were made by an individual artist or in a single workshop."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FESTAC 77</span> 1977 international festival in Lagos, Nigeria

Festac '77, also known as the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture, was a major international festival held in Lagos, Nigeria, from 15 January 1977 to 12 February 1977. The month-long event celebrated African culture and showcased to the world African music, fine art, literature, drama, dance and religion. About 16,000 participants, representing 56 African nations and countries of the African Diaspora, performed at the event. Artists who performed at the festival included Stevie Wonder from United States, Gilberto Gil from Brazil, Bembeya Jazz National from Guinea, Mighty Sparrow from Trinidad and Tobago, Les Ballets Africains, South African Miriam Makeba, and Franco Luambo Makiadi. At the time it was held, it was the largest pan-African gathering to ever take place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archaeology of Igbo-Ukwu</span> Archaeology done in the town of Igbo-Ukwu, Southeastern Nigeria

The archaeology of Igbo-Ukwu is the study of an archaeological site located in a town of the same name: Igbo-Ukwu, an Igbo town in Anambra State in southeastern Nigeria. As a result of these findings, three excavation areas at Igbo-Ukwu were opened in 1959 and 1964 by Charles Thurstan Shaw: Igbo Richard, Igbo Isaiah, and Igbo Jonah. Excavations revealed more than 700 high quality artifacts of copper, bronze and iron, as well as about 165,000 glass, carnelian and stone beads, pottery, textiles and ivory beads, cups, and horns. The bronzes include numerous ritual vessels, pendants, crowns, breastplates, staff ornaments, swords, and fly-whisk handles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Museum of Unity, Ibadan</span> Ethnographic museum in Oyo State, Nigeria

The Ibadan National Museum of Unity is an ethnographic museum in Ibadan, Nigeria. The museum is dedicated to the culture of the different ethnic groups of Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art</span> Art museum in Lekki, Nigeria

The Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art is a privately-owned museum located on the main campus of the Pan-Atlantic University in Lagos State, Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lower Niger Bronze Industries</span> Unassigned alloy works from Nigeria

"Lower Niger Bronze Industry" is essentially a catch-all term referring either to any unattributed "Bronze" work produced in the Lower Niger, or, more commonly, to every "Bronze" work produced in the Lower Niger which cannot be immediately attributed to more famous traditions of Benin and Yoruba metallurgy. These works, referred to in recent texts as LNBs, are quite distinct from previously mentioned ones in both style and production, but are also internally diverse; they do not comprise a single tradition: "while this omnibus term is still with us, no one would continue to lump the Tada-Jebba bronzes together with those excavated at Igbo-Ukwu, even as sub-styles. These and the other provisional groupings reflect distinctly different traditions. Today even the search for a single alternate bronzecasting center has broadened as several independent workshops have been confirmed." As such, one may consider "Lower Bronze Industry" to actually mean Bronze-works which have not yet been assigned to broader traditions, or whose encapsulating traditions/contexts are poorly understood - different scholars additionally do not agree on which pieces should be given the classification. However, though little is known about them, their mere existence suggests that Bronze working was more widely spread in Nigeria than was once known.

References

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