Igbo art (Igbo: Ǹkà Igbo) is any piece of visual art originating from the Igbo people. As early as the ninth century, the inhabitants of Igbo-Ukwu had a metalworking art that flourished. In 1938 (though this date remains controversial), an individual named Isaiah made the first kind of the ‘igbo-ukwu art objects. The ‘igbo-ukwu’ art objects came to existence when he dissome bronze objects in the process of digging a water well in his compound. In the course of digging there water-well, he dug up some bronze objects. Some of which included; richly-ornamented bowls and vessels or vase used for ceremonies in the 1930’s.
The people of Igbo-Ukwu (originally known as Igbo-Nkwo), ancestors of present-day Igbo, were the earliest copper smithers and its alloys in West Africa. The working of the metal was done through hammering, bending, twisting, and incising. It is said that they are among the earliest groups of West Africans to employ the lost-wax casting techniques in the production of bronze sculptures. With all these talents, there was still a problem. Evidence suggested that their metal working was limited as they (the Igbo smiths) were not familiar with some techniques such as; soldering, raising, riveting, wire making etc.
Non-the-less, the talents of these casters were truly remarkable.The casters at Igbo-Ukwu were highly skilled, creating intricate bronze items in stages, such as bowls with decorative insects and spirals. Various ritual vessels and bronze items like pendants, crowns, and swords were discovered alongside beads obtained through trade. Igbo-Ukwu’s bronze casting was unique at the time but later influenced other regions in Nigeria.
The climate in Igbo-Ukwu remains warm year-round, with a muggy and partially cloudy dry season and an oppressive and overcast wet season. The wet season is oppressive and overcast. The average annual temperature fluctuates between 64°F and 85°F, rarely falling below 56°F or rising over 88°F. The difference in temperature in Igbo-Ukwu is so little throughout the year that talking about hot and cold seasons isn’t really helpful.
Scholarly study of artistic productions has become difficult due to te relative lack of centralization that characterized Igbo forms of governance. Another problem surrounded by the study of Igbo art is that there is no clear agreement on who counts as being a member of the Igbo culture. The assumption that forms of “traditional” art remain unchanging has become a hindrance to understanding the developments of Igbo art production.
