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CULTURE CULTURE
The prestigious Igbo Ukwu roped pot
Igbo men at a traditional festival
BY Victoria Onehi
T
he roped pot is a symbol of prestige amongst the Igbo Ukwu people.This roped pot, according to William Dewey of Pennsylvania State University, is one of the most beautiful and technically complicated objects. “The pear-shaped pot sits on a pot stand ornamented with pinwheel-shaped openings. Both are encircled by imitation rope work tied into square knots at the junctions. The bronze casters were so confident of their technique that hardly a flaw or seem can be seen, although it was cast in as many as eight different sections.”Dewey states. Mr Berth Okafor, an indigene of Igbo Ukwu, said the pot was found during an excavation in the 19th century. “The pot was excavated in Igbo Ukwu town in the 19th century by a British archaeologist, Prof Thurstan Shaw. Igbo Ukwu means the “big Igbo.” We term every Igbo person an Igbo man, but we are the ‘big Igbo’,” Okafor explained. On what the pot symbolises, Okafor said the pot was a symbol of might and unity amongst the Igbo Ukwu people. “Then, the pot symbolised might and unity. But now, it has become a symbol of prestige for the Igbo Ukwu people of Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State. Not many people have seen the pot physically, but we see it as a symbol of prestige,” he added. Okafor further said the pot had brought development to the village. It was because of the pot and other items that were excavated that a museum was built in the town. “The village had to build a museum and that helped the growth of the village. After the museum was
built, banks came in, and schools and a stadium were built. The village grew very fast. Personally, I believe the presence of the pot contributed to the growth of the village,” he further said. William Dewey stated that Igbo Ukwu pot represents one of the earliest examples of bronze casting in sub-Saharan Africa. “The lost-wax casting method was used, which entails making an object out of wax, investing it in clay, firing the clay, and melting out the wax, then filling the mould with molten metal. The bowl and stand were made separately and joined together by casting the band of spirals and insects. Such sophisticated techniques and almost flawless results demonstrate the skill of the artists,” Dewey stated. An article titled, The Mystery of Igbo Ukwu Bronze, published in Osundu Newsletter states that, “Some authorities simply described the Igbo Ukwu roped pot as the most intricate bronze sculpture ever fabricated by man. Attention to symmetry and details in the finishing is astounding. The questions that readily come to mind are: Who were these masters? What inspired them to take the time, effort and patience to create objects like these? The hollow spirals at base of the vase have close resemblance to the milky way galaxy.” The article further stated that an international archaeological connoisseur, on closely reviewing the Igbo Ukwu Bronze collections, testified thus: “It is possible that the inhabitants of Igbo Ukwu had a metalworking art that flourished as early as the ninth century. Three sites have been excavated, revealing hundreds of ritual vessels and regalia castings of bronze or leaded bronze that are among the most
“Some authorities simply described the Igbo-Ukwu roped pot as the most intricate bronze sculpture ever fabricated by man.”
inventive and technically accomplished bronzes ever made. The people of Igbo Ukwu, ancestors of present day Igbo, were the earliest smithers of copper and its alloys in West Africa, working the metal through hammering, bending, twisting and incising. They are likely among the earliest groups of West Africans to employ the lost-wax casting techniques in the production of bronze sculptures.”