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Start Over Subject(s) marriage customs and rite Subject(s) dance

1. Carved wooden face masks, Banda, 1964

Description:
Early in his career, art historian Roy Sieber toured Ghana studying the country's indigenous art forms (Interview with Roy Sieber, "African Arts", Vol. 25, no. 4, Oct. 1992, pg. 48). Several years later Sieber's student René Bravmann returned to west central Ghana to study the region's masking traditions. This photo of masks taken by Roy Sieber is Included in René Bravmann's photo archives with the label "Do masks at Banda, R. Sieber photo, 1960s." Masks like these are used in masquerade dances to celebrate special occasions including weddings and public festivals such as the end of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting. In his 1974 book "Islam and Tribal Art in West Africa" (Cambridge University Press, pg. 166), René Bravmann notes that at the time of his 1967 fieldwork there were in the "Ligbi village of Bungazi [Bongase] six Do [masks]... Interestingly enough, only three years prior to my fieldwork [1964], Roy Sieber recorded twelve Do face masks at Bungazi. My inquiries in 1967 revealed that five of the masks had been stolen and a sixth had deteriorated to the point where it was no longer usable." The masks pictured here (1964) may be among the Bongase masks that were stolen or deteriorated by the time of Bravmann's 1967 visit. Bongase, 1964.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Bongase
Subjects:
Do
Subjects Facet:
Wood carvings; Rites and ceremonies; Dance; Islam; Masquerades; Marriage customs and rites; Regalia; Masks
Creator:
Dr. Roy Sieber
Contributors:
Dr. René A. Bravmann
Date searchable:
1964
Date searchable:
1964
Genre:
35 mm slide
Genre Facet:
35 mm slide
Format:
Image
Location(s):
Bongase;8.238039, -2.276274
Date Digitized:
2016
People Facet:
Dr. Roy Sieber
Commentary:
Slide scanned by Veronique Plante
Geographic Coordinates:
8.238039, -2.276274

2. Two carved wooden face masks, Bongase, 2019

Description:
A man holds up for view two carved wooden masks during a 2019 interview with Ligbi elders in Bongase. These masks are used in masquerade dances to celebrate special occasions like weddings and public festivals such as the end of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting. The mask on the left (13.25 inches in height) is a thrush (Kokogyinaka in Ligbi). The mask on the right (9.75 inches in length) is a "beautiful Gonja woman" (Gbanyamuso in Ligbi). Their features are highlighted by red, blue and white pigment. The Gbanyamuso mask is also adorned by a red hair band. A baboon mask (Mbong in Ligbi) lays on the table to the right. René Bravmann, an art historian, photographed these masks in 1967 during doctoral dissertation fieldwork. For additional details, see Bravmann, René A. (1974) "Islam and Tribal Art in West Africa" (Cambridge University Press), pp. 88-95. Scholars refer to this masking tradition as "Do," while locally it is termed "Bedu." A June 2019 performance of Gbanyamuso (center) at a Banda Heritage Event can be viewed through a link below. Bongase, 11 June, 2019.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Relation:
https://exhibits.library.uvic.ca/spotlight/iaff/catalog/17-17127; https://exhibits.library.uvic.ca/spotlight/iaff/catalog/17-19216
Location(s) Facet:
Bongase
Subjects:
Bedu; Banda Cultural Centre; Thrush; Do
Subjects Facet:
Wood carvings; Masks; Dance; Islam; Masquerades; Marriage customs and rites; Rites and ceremonies
Creator:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Contributors:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Date searchable:
2019
Date searchable:
2019-06-11
Genre:
Digital image
Genre Facet:
Digital image
Format:
Image
Location(s):
Bongase;8.236556, -2.276194
People Facet:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Geographic Coordinates:
8.236556, -2.276194

3. Two carved wooden bush cow masks, Bongase, 2019

Description:
A man holds up for view a female (left) and male (right) pair of carved wooden bush cow (Siginjuru-ayna in Ligbi) masks during a 2019 interview with Ligbi elders in Bongase. Masks such as these have been used in masquerade dances to celebrate special occasions like weddings and public festivals including the end of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting. The masks' features are highlighted by red, blue and white pigment. René A. Bravmann, an art historian, photographed the male bush cow mask in 1967 during doctoral dissertation fieldwork. For additional details, see Bravmann, René A. (1974) "Islam and Tribal Art in West Africa" (Cambridge University Press), pp. 147-177. Scholars refer to this masking tradition as "Do," while locally it is termed "Bedu." Bongase,11 June, 2019.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Relation:
https://exhibits.library.uvic.ca/spotlight/iaff/catalog/17-17126
Location(s) Facet:
Bongase
Subjects:
Bedu; Do; Bush cow
Subjects Facet:
Wood carvings; Masks; Dance; Islam; Masquerades; Marriage customs and rites; Regalia; Rites and ceremonies
Creator:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Contributors:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Date searchable:
2019
Date searchable:
2019-06-11
Genre:
Digital image
Genre Facet:
Digital image
Format:
Image
Location(s):
Bongase;8.236556, -2.276194
People Facet:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Geographic Coordinates:
8.236556, -2.276194

4. Banda Heritage Event: Kuulo Celebrations, 2019

Description:
At a day-long celebration of the Banda area's rich cultural heritage at the Banda Cultural Centre in Banda-Ahenkro, Kuulo people from Dompofie share customs associated with their wedding celebrations. A bride and groom accompanied by two girls sit as women sing songs of praise and dance in a circle around them. A pot containing pito (locally brewed grain beer) sits in front of them. The women wear strip-woven local cloth wraps around their waists. In an opening song, the women beat rhythms with calabash gourd drinking bowls as they dance. The gourds are placed in front of the newly married couple after the first dance. After the final dance, the calabash bowls are used to catch overflowing beer poured from the pito pot, signaling that the bride was a virgin when married. Ahenkro, 28 June, 2019. Length: 00:20:21 minutes.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Date:
2019-06-28
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects:
Performance; Kuulo, Dompo (African people)
Subjects Facet:
Dance; Songs; Music; Rites and Ceremonies; Marriage customs and rites; Gourd, Calabash; West African strip weaving; Heritage
Creator:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Contributors:
Daniel Kofi Nakpah
Date searchable:
2019
Date searchable:
2019-06-28
Genre Facet:
Digital video
Format:
Video
Source:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Language Facet:
Dompo; Nafaanra; English
Location(s):
Ahenkro;8.166006, -2.354521
People Facet:
Daniel Kofi Nakpah
Sketchfab Uid:
Geographic Coordinates:
8.166006, -2.354521

5. Banda Heritage Event: Boase Bijam Celebration, 2019

Description:
At a day-long celebration of the Banda area's rich cultural heritage at the Banda Cultural Centre in Banda-Ahenkro, Nafana people from Boase share customs associated with their wedding celebrations (Bijam). Two young women dressed as brides wear local strip woven cloth and carry walking sticks as they approach the Banda Cultural Centre, accompanied by female relatives and young girls dressed in nubility attire. After circling the event grounds, the girls are seated and the women perform a series of songs and dances accompanied by calabash drums. Men and women well-wishers toss maize kernels in the water of the calabash drums as they dance. Afterwards, the brides, covered by cloth, dance behind an elder relative as other women prepare their path by pouring water from a bucket. Afterwards, locally made grain beer (pito) is poured into a calabash, overflowing to signal that the brides were virgins at the time of their marriage.In a final dance, female relatives dance with a bowl of food, after which gifts are presented to the bride's family. Many of the women wear locally made strip-woven blue-and-white textiles as wraps. Ahenkro, 28 June, 2019. Length: 00:22:01 minutes.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Date:
2019-06-28
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects:
Performance; Nafana (African people)
Subjects Facet:
Dance; Songs; Music; Rites and Ceremonies; Marriage customs and rites; Gourd, Calabash; West African strip weaving; Drums (musical instrument); Heritage
Creator:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Date searchable:
2019
Date searchable:
2019-06-28
Genre Facet:
Digital video
Format:
Video
Source:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Language Facet:
Nafaanra; English
Location(s):
Ahenkro;8.166006, -2.354521
People Facet:
Tolԑԑ Ligbi Wulotei
Sketchfab Uid:
Commentary:
Film produced using Adobe Premiere Pro 2021
Geographic Coordinates:
8.166006, -2.354521

6. Banda Heritage Event: Ahenkro Celebrations, 2019

Description:
At a day-long celebration of the Banda area's rich cultural heritage at the Banda Cultural Centre in Banda-Ahenkro, people from Ahenkro share Nafana songs and dances associated with with girls' puberty rites (Manaa Ndiom) and wedding celebrations (Bijam). The film opens with photos of girls dressed in Manaa Ndiom attire during the 1995 inauguration of the Banda Cultural Centre. A series of songs and dances performed at the 2019 event follows, accompanied by the rhythms of calabash drums, calabash rattles and, in some cases, a wooden drum. The group is joined in the first song by District Chief Executive Mary Konneh who plays calabash rattles and dances. Seated under the shade of the canopy, Afua Donkor demonstrates how to spin cotton while others sing and dance. Young people can be seen using their cell phones to record the action. Many of the Elder women who perform wear locally made strip-woven blue-and-white textiles as skirt wraps. Ahenkro, 28 June, 2019. Length: 00:15:57 minutes.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Date:
2019-06-28
Subjects:
Performance; Cell phones
Subjects Facet:
Nafana (African people); Dance; Songs; Music; Rites and Ceremonies; Marriage customs and rites; Gourd, Calabash; West African strip weaving; Drums (musical instrument); Rattles; Heritage
Creator:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Date searchable:
2019
Date searchable:
2019-06-28
Genre Facet:
Digital video
Format:
Video
Source:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl
Language Facet:
Nafaanra; English
Location(s):
Ahenkro;8.166006, -2.354521
People Facet:
Mary Konneh; Lelɛɛ Akosua Kepefu
Sketchfab Uid:
Commentary:
Film produced using Adobe Premiere Pro 2021
Geographic Coordinates:
8.166006, -2.354521