Igbo-Ukwu bowl
Type:
Bowls
Date:
Ninth or tenth century
Location or Findspot (Modern-Day Country):
Nigeria
Medium:
Bronze
Dimensions:
7 × 15 × 7.5 cm
Description:
In West Africa, practices of metalworking in copper and its alloys (e.g., bronze) emerged in Igbo-Ukwu (modern-day Nigeria) as early as the ninth century. Archaeological sites at Igbo-Ukwu reveal not only the earliest examples of bronze casting in the region but also evidence of long-distance trade with regions as far as the Nile valley, in particular through the presence of glass beads from Byzantine-era Egypt. The metal used to make the bronzes came from nearby sources, indicating local technologies and design were at play in the creation of the crescent-shaped bowl reproduced here.
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
5
Repository and Online Resources:
• Read more about the bowl on the website of the British Museum.
• Watch a video on glass beads and trans-Saharan trade.
Image Credits:
© Trustees of the British Museum
Tags:
Sub-Saharan,
Artistic production,
Metalwork
