THE LAGOS CLASS

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THE LAGOS CLASS

• NWAZOTA KENE
• ELIAS YEWANDE
• SULEIMAN RUKAYAT
• OMEIHE OLUOMA
• ADEBAYO CHRISTIANA

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FOSSILS IN NIGERIA

• IGBO-UKWU

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Brief history of Igbo-Ukwu

• Igbo-Ukwu is a village Art in Anambra State
  (South-Eastern part of Nigeria). The art was
  discovered in the year 1938 by the Anozie family
  .
• That year a man by name Isaiah Anozie set out to
  dig a water cistern in his compound when he
  discovered a number of bronze objects. Nok art,
  like the Igbo-Ukwu bronze objects, provides us
  with the first evidence of a culture that made
  use of iron. The bronze found in the small
  village of Igbo-Ukwu near Awka in Onitsha
  province, east of the River Niger, provides us
  with the first evidence of the artistic use of
  copper alloys in the whole of Black Africa.

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• The town of Awka is today famous for its
  blacksmithing and carved wood door panels and
  stools. Like most spectacular archeological
  findings in the world, the discovery of the
  bronze of Igbo-Ukwu was accidental.
• It is thought that similar findings were made at
  this site as early as 1922. Some of the pieces
  recovered were deposited with the Nigerian
  government, but some found their way to the
  British Museum in London. It was not until 1955
  that the site was scientifically excavated by
  Thurstan Shaw on the invitation of the Federal
  Department of Antiquities of Nigeria and by the
  same archeologist in 1964 on behalf of the
  University of Ibadan.

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• As a result of these excavations, Igbo-Ukwu
  bronzes can be seen in five places- the Nigerian
  Museum Lagos, the Nigerian Museum Jos, Kaduna
  Museum, the University of Ibadan Museum and
  Museum of Mankind in London
• One of the excavations was an amazing burial
  chamber made for someone believed to be an
  important dignitary, probably a great leader (Eze
  Nri) about 1000 years ago.
• Inside this chamber were
• A staff- top with a bronze leopard skull
• 3 elephant tusks
• The remains of a fly-whisk
• Fan holder, armlets, anklets, crown and altar
  stand.

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• Other items excavated from the Anozie Compound
  were
• Pot-stand with male and female figure images
  seperated by open work panels of snakes with
  frogs in their mouths.
• Over a hundred thousand beads.
• A disposal pit that contained a jumble of copper
  and bronze wristlets.
• Bells and bell jars.
• A large quantity of broken pottery and some
  intact vessels.
• Igbo-Ukwu roped pot a water-pot set on its own
  pedestal enclosed in rope-work.
• Igbo-Ukwu bowl cast by the lost wax method in
  imitation of a decorated calabash.
• Large pot excavated by the disposal pit. Its
  handle imitates basket work and between them are
  two snakes, a ram head and a chameleon.

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• The excavations were discovered at different
  sites namely Igbo Isaiah, Igbo Jonah and Igbo
  Richard according to their order of discovery and
  excavations.
• The Igbo-Ukwu figures were the highest singular
  excavations. These figures are very unique in
  that the bronze has an alloy of copper and bronze
  objects of considerable artistic excellence.
• Some of these excavations are presently
  displayed in the national museum in Lagos.

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PHOTO GALLERY
A staff top with a Bronze leopards skull on a
copper rod
Leopards Skull
Pendants
Fly whisk handles showing horseman with facial
scarification. The Flywhisk indicates rank and
title.
Igbo-Ukwu large pot excavated from the disposal
pit. Its handles imitates basket works, and
between them are two snake head, a rams head and
a chameleon.
Igbo-Ukwu Roped Pot. A water pot set on its own
pedestal enclosed in rope work and leaded bronze
Roped Pot
Bronze Pot
Bronze Snail
The male and female pot-stand figure separated by
openwork panels of snakes with frogs in their
mouths.
A bronze bowl- an imitation of a decorated
calabash.
Female Pot Stand
Bronze Bowl
Male Pot Stand