This groundbreaking book analyzes the extent to which feminine ideals of beauty, power, and spirituality in southern Nigeria translate into unique demonstrations of corporeality, extravagance, transfiguration, and wellness. Considering a culture of ceremonial seclusion, fatness, decoration, and identity construction as it is revealed through mbopo, a mysterious ritual practiced in Ibibioland, Nigeria, this work seeks to isolate a visual aesthetic that is specific to Ibibio and Cross River cultures. Through the analysis of regional aesthetic forms, Daughters of Seclusion addresses the connections between mbopo ritual and larger conceptions of aesthetics, artistry, and literacy in Ibibio provinces. Its cross-disciplinary analysis fuses West African women's studies and art history to discuss nuances in modes of female representation and conceptualization in Ibibio art and life.
| ISBN: | 9781433115325 |
| Publication date: | 13th April 2012 |
| Author: | Imo Nse Imeh |
| Publisher: | Peter Lang an imprint of Peter Lang Inc., International Academic Publishers |
| Format: | Hardback |
| Pagination: | 312 pages |
| Series: | Black Studies and Critical Thinking |
| Genres: |
The arts: general topics Gender studies: women and girls Social and cultural history National liberation and independence Educational: Arts, general Theory of art History of art Literary studies: general African history |