IGBO DOOR 23, Nigeria

This door shows complex patterns and generations of slow weathering. The worst damage, one of two breaks with wood loss on the bottom edge, can be seen in the second detail below. There is a slight warp in the door that does not affect its hanging. It has been wired to hang.

The intricately carved doors of the Igbo people of Nigeria are impressive. Carved of a sacred hardwood, iroko, for major patrons, they served as entrance portals to an obi, the male meeting house. Iroko wood is associated with males, power and certain mysteries. The tree's spirit is ritually placated before felling. The large planks were extremely difficult to make. The doors are distinguished by the careful chip carving into V-shaped grooves and the contrasts of plain with densely carved areas.