Ethnographic Study of Wooden Objects Conservation: Focus On National Museums in Lagos and Oron, Nigeria (Published)
Conservation of cultural wooden objects in the national museum in basically to preserve the social, cultural and religious attributes embedded in the collection. The traditional wood-carvers produced various objects for utilitarian purposes in the community. These objects have in the past played one functional role or the other to the society that produced them before they got into the museum for preservation. Collection of wooden objects in the national museums started with a view to protect cultural objects from theft, vandals and weathering agents as well as present them as testimony of ancient civilisation. This study, examined indigenous types of wood commonly used by wood-carvers or sculptor, and methods of preserving them for a long period of time. Data were collected from wood-carvers, sculptors, museum workers, and relevant literature was consulted. Result shows that Nigerian wood carvers understand strong and durable wood types that are good enough to carve different objects. The wood types, strength, and indigenous methods of preservation of wooden objects have contributed greatly to their survival under scientific methods of conservation in the national museums in Nigeria.
Keywords: Conservation of wooden objects, Cultural Heritage, Lagos and Oron national museums
LIBATION ART IN ART OF GHANA:LINKING THE UNLINKED (Published)
This paper examines the history of easel painting on libation art in post-independence Ghana in relation to Nkrumah’s non-statutory cultural policy of inculcating libation art in national state functions. Through a visual analytic approach of post-colonial paintings on the subject matter by two pioneering contemporary Ghanaian artists, and analysis of musical libation into hiplife, it concludes that libation is a beneficial intangible cultural heritage permitted by Ghana’s constitution and international laws and must be reinstated at state functions. It posits that though libation shares peculiar religious characteristic verticality with Christian and Islamic prayers, the nation owes no apology to any religious sect for pouring libation at state functions as it has been the case for over five decades after independence. It recommends that a libation manual must be made to encourage its practice by young ones in order to ensure its preservation for the current and future generations
Keywords: Cultural Heritage, libation, prayer, religious tolerance, traditional worship