Artifacts

Since the mid-nineteenth century, reference had been made to glassmaking in Nupeland, particularly at Bida. This locally-made bikini is characteristically black and shiny. The earliest mention of a glassmaking community in Nupeland in historical sources came from Thomas Jefferson Bowen, an American Christian missionary, who wrote in 1856 that “the Nufes [Nupe] are allied by their language to the Yórubas…they are said to be the only people in Sudan who still retain the art of manufacturing glass.” He continues, “So far as I could ascertain, the peculiar glass manufacture of Central Africa is confined to three towns in Nufe, one of which is situated on the west of the Niger” (Bowen, 1857, p. 309). Leo Frobenius, a German explorer, and ethnologist, also mentioned Nupe glassmaking. In 1912, he wrote: “we have now reached the brook which divides our quarter of the town from the Massaga’s, the workers in glass” (Frobenius, 1913, p. 433). Similarly, anthropologist S. F. Nadel notes in the 1940s that “the Masagá nevertheless still produce their own glass as well. A certain type of glass, black in color and of rather crude texture, which is bought widely in Nigeria, is made exclusively by the traditional method” (Nadel, 1942, p. 274–5). René Gardi, the Swiss traveler and author, wrote in 1969 about the secrecy around making bikini glass: “Our friends in Bida willingly showed us their work techniques. We went in and out whenever we pleased. We photographed and filmed, but there was one thing they did not show us: the making of glass for their own use” (Gardi, 1969, p. 102). The Masagá use the word bikini interchangeably to refer to raw glass (cullet) and manufactured glass products.

Nupe weaving is a celebrated craft tradition from Nigeria's Middle Belt, known for producing high-quality and intricate textile artifacts. Weaving is primarily centered in the city of Bida, where weavers produce both everyday cloths and ceremonial garments like the kpasa and duna. Woven cloths ###Ede Kpasa: A traditional wool fabric with symbolic designs, worn for festivals, weddings, and other special ceremonies. Some kpasa feature the three colors of the Nupe flag—red for bravery, green for agriculture, and blue for the River Niger. ##Ebaigi guba: A specific type of woven textile featuring the distinctive Bida-Nupe color palette of red, blue, and green. ###Duna: A type of elaborate marriage cloth historically woven by Nupe women. Grass mats and baskets: In addition to cloth, Nupe women also weave grass into mats, baskets, hats, and fans. These are often dyed with natural colors and decorated with beads, shells, and leather.

Nupe weaving is a celebrated craft tradition from Nigeria's Middle Belt, known for producing high-quality and intricate textile artifacts. Weaving is primarily centered in the city of Bida, where weavers produce both everyday cloths and ceremonial garments like the kpasa and duna. Woven cloths ###Ede Kpasa: A traditional wool fabric with symbolic designs, worn for festivals, weddings, and other special ceremonies. Some kpasa feature the three colors of the Nupe flag—red for bravery, green for agriculture, and blue for the River Niger. ###Ebaigi guba: A specific type of woven textile featuring the distinctive Bida-Nupe color palette of red, blue, and green. ###Duna: A type of elaborate marriage cloth historically woven by Nupe women. Grass mats and baskets: In addition to cloth, Nupe women also weave grass into mats, baskets, hats, and fans. These are often dyed with natural colors and decorated with beads, shells, and leather.

Nupe wood carvings are known for their intricate geometric and abstract patterns, primarily decorating functional objects like stools and doors rather than representing human figures. The art is almost exclusively for aesthetic purposes, rather than ceremonial or spiritual ones. History and influences------------------------------------------------------- ##Decline of spiritual art: Historically, Nupe arts had a spiritual dimension, but this has largely been lost due to the influence of Islam and Christianity, which became prominent in the Nupe kingdom around the second millennium. Emphasis on aesthetics: With the decline of spiritualism, Nupe wood carving shifted toward focusing on the aesthetic and material aspects of the craft. ###Fulani revival: In the late 1850s, after the Fulani conquest, skilled Nupe artisans were organized into guilds in Bida. This effort helped revive the tradition and focus on crafts like wood carving, glass, and brass work. ###Islamic and Yoruba influence: Some Nupe wood carvings show the influence of neighboring Yoruba and Islamic cultures, incorporating elements such as stylized animals alongside Islamic motifs like the writing board or mosque plans. Common Nupe wood carvings ###Stools: Nupe stools are renowned for their distinctive, intricate incised patterns. Carved from a single block of wood, they often feature a round form with conical legs. They are sometimes called "wedding stools". ###Doors: Large carved wooden doors were commissioned by important Nupe people as indicators of wealth and status. These doors, made from multiple panels, are decorated with relief carvings featuring geometric patterns, as well as abstract representations of objects and symbols. ###Posts: Architectural posts are another common form of Nupe wood carving, featuring massive and impressively carved designs. Some posts display zigzagging and ringed forms, while others have openwork lozenge sections. ###Other carvings: The Nupe also carve items such as masks for bird hunting, drums, figurines, and wooden mortars.

Bida bead making is a traditional craft in Nigeria where artisans transform recycled glass bottles into vibrant beads. The process involves melting colored glass in a wood-fired furnace, using iron rods to shape the molten glass, and then decorating the beads with a distinctive white pattern. The finished products, known as Bida glass beads or "bikini glass," are renowned throughout West Africa for their unique, fluid colors and elegance.

These Nupe wood vessels not well known. The Nupe are better known for their terracotta pots and pot supports, gourds, doors, post and stools. Most Nupe are Muslim and their art is therefore abstract.