Bells, Blacksmiths and Igbo-Ukwu: 50 years tracking Igbo Artistic Traditions
Conference: The 23rd Annual International Conference of the Igbo Studies Association (ISA) (2026)
Presenter(s): Nancy Neaher Maas
Presentation Date: February 23, 2026 @ 14:19 PM
Tags: Texas USA Blacksmiths Igbo-Ukwu
Abstract
This presentation gives a glimpse into a personal adventure pursuing the history of Igbo artisanry, especially that of metalsmithing. Beginning as a graduate student at Stanford University, where no official program in African art existed at that time, I became aware of a treasure trove of bronzes accidentally found in Igbo-Ukwu, eastern Nigeria. Their astonishing beauty and sophistication excited me, as did the curious fact that many scholars in the 1970’s rejected the possibility of local manufacture and of a timeline that preceded the dominant metalworking traditions of Nigeria, Ife and Benin. I took up the challenge and determined to find out more about the nature of eastern Nigeria’s possible contribution to the metal arts of Nigeria. This led to a two-pronged research approach: the first surveying a wide array of metal work associated with eastern Nigeria, with emphasis on bells. Secondly, field work among the metalsmiths of Awka illuminated the historic depth of their craft and their pan-Nigeria influence as itinerant smiths. Subsequent publications (and over 25 years of college teaching) gave me the opportunity to delineate my findings and to help widen understanding of the preeminence of Igbo craftsmanship. While the precise history of Igbo-Ukwu’s treasures is still a work in progress, the bronzes and other objects conclusively fit within the orbit of an ancient Igbo artistic practice. This presentation entails some visual imagery.
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