You can honestly create a fresh new thread just on Igbo clothing alone. I am still torn on whether I should. Their patterns were amazing and the dyes that they used had been noted to last for decades

Look at the beauty...

More Igbo clothing fabric

More...

And these textiles only represent southern Igbo clothing options, which is just a small fraction of the various fabrics that exist across Igboland.

Colonial exhibit of predominantly Igbo wares

Entrance to Igbo compound

Thread is back, bless you bro

I love this!!

Igbo women were known for their elaborate and elegant coiffures. It was a distinct trait.
To the point that foreigners such as colonials, could easily identify Igbo women, even in diaspora settlements outside Igboland because of their hairstyles.

Some hairstyles of Igbo women

Their diverse hairstyles were often more distinct because many women in the niger delta wore shorn hair or other rather simple styles.

...

more

Shiver99:
More...

Most of these houses look Egyptian, and what fascinates me is the drawings on the wall which I believe depicted something to the owner.

Shiver99:
Much like the people of the orient, Igbos loved their carpets and matting, and you could see these artistic pieces across an Igbo house.

They used matting to cover the floor, furniture or even hang on walls.

This mat is still big business today. I'm also an interior decorator, I'm planning to make an Igbo ancient interior masterpiece, this would be helpful for my next project.

This thread is worth the front page

Seun and Lalasticala

Fahdiga1:
Even though I'm a Yoruba man but my great grandfather who was an Oba in Ilesha back then told me the truth that the Igbos were the first civilized black race in the world. That they helped bring civilization to our Yoruba land. I keep wondering how the Igbos were to be exposed so early more than us the Yorubas

in the world or the southern part of Nigeria? World ke !!

Recovered pieces of cloth. Different textile styles from various parts of Igboland...

Igboland had many developed cloth manufacturing centers, and clothing and textiles were one of their chief exports. Due to this, they were less eager to adopt European exports than some of their neighbors.

Shiver99:
Some more tobacco pipes...

A pastime of much of the populace

Did they use what we presently know as utaba for those pipes in the olden days?

Shiver99:
Recovered pieces of cloth. Different textile styles from various parts of Igboland...

Igboland had many developed cloth manufacturing centers, and clothing and textiles were one of their chief exports. Due to this, they were less eager to adopt European exports than some of their neighbors.

I hope there’s a book showcasing all these wonderful ancient Igbo achievements and way of life. And it should be part of the curriculum for Igbo studies in secondary schools in Igboland. This would help engender in our youths a sense of pride and awareness of what we’ve achieved in the past and where we came from.

Shiver99:
Musical instruments

Igbos really loved thumb pianos...

Ah....i remember the distinct sound those thumb-pianos make! Their sound typifies Igbo music of a bygone era! The Efik/Ibibio are known for the one they use wood to make. Any Efik/Ibibio can help us with the name of that instrument. You normally see kids using them to bang out tunes!

Shiver99:
Common scarves...

Ichafu! Reminds me of Mum!

Fahdiga1:
Even though I'm a Yoruba man but my great grandfather who was an Oba in Ilesha back then told me the truth that the Igbos were the first civilized black race in the world. That they helped bring civilization to our Yoruba land. I keep wondering how the Igbos were to be exposed so early more than us the Yorubas

Mention your great grandfather Royal house in ilasha

This thread is historical archive. It deserves Front page. Lalasticlala Mynd44 Seun

Igbos were by far one of the most, if not the most obvious obstacle to the British onslaught.

The most advanced British forces amassed in Nigeria was used to invade Igbo territories and still Igboland took several decades to be put under the control of the British.

For instance, the aro expedition described below, which was the largest and most advanced military expedition in southern Nigeria.

However, for the British that wasn't the end of it. Colonising forces soon found out that the headache that they had with the aro and their allies was only a fraction of the resistance they would face in Igboland.

Despite the fact that the British clearly held all the cards.

They had advanced weaponry like proto-machine guns and gunboats while Igbos had traditional weapons and outdated rifles (which were rather usless in forest domain outside of hunting),
they had experience in forest warfare while igbos had no experience with European conventional warfare,
they had African soldiers and African allies on their side (including Igbo christians and igbos of different groups) while resisting Igbos had themselves and a few allies.

Yet, Igbos were still able to adapt and hold a resistance for decades.

By the end of it all, when colonisers had subdued the local populace, they went on a 'de-arming' campaign. To get rid of any fire-arms that Igbos could use to resist the invaders.

Throughout their military expeditions, they recovered thousands upon thousands of guns, that Igbos were forced to give up. This confirms the statement of one British traveler when visiting an Igbo town, that the men were armed to the teeth with rifles, bows, swords, etc, etc.

No wonder Nnamdi Azikiwe said that Igbos were a race that had never been colonised (of course prior to British invasion ).

Igbo towns consisted of a heavily armed populace, which made it a poor choice for invasion from other tribes.

A European description of an Igbo town (Ngwa).

Shiver99:
You can honestly create a fresh new thread just on Igbo clothing alone. I am still torn on whether I should. Their patterns were amazing and the dyes that they used had been noted to last for decades

Look at the beauty...

I sell these
Hand made akwete
Akwete = akwụ Ete
This in Igbo afa language is very deep.

Shiver99:
Entrance to Igbo compound

My grandfather had these walls even as recent as 2005 it's gone now though, replaced by block fences.

I wish it was still there.

As someone whose passion is igbo promotion and presevation I find this thread very delicious and educative

IduNaOba:

My grandfather had these walls even as recent as 2005 it's gone now though, replaced by block fences.

I wish it was still there.

I really hope that Igbos in the future revamp their clay/adobe architecture, much like the middle-easterners have done. Or the east asians with their bamboo architecture.

A torch, allegedly.

For lighting rooms and houses.