Lindner Lecture: From Igbo Ukwu to Igbo Landing: How Medieval African Objects Speak

Abstract: The well-known Medieval Nigerian archaeological site of Igbo-Ukwu has long been recognized for its one-of-a-kind bronze sculptures and other works. In this lecture I re-examine this art corpus from the vantage of the work of contemporary Igbo engagement through the literary arts of Chinua Achebe and others, arguing that the works message the importance of holding Igbo leaders in check. I then take us to the site of Igbo Landing, the Sea Islands site near Savannah, Georgia where a group suicide of recently arrived enslaved Igbo took place in 1803. I example the plantation slavery context of this tragic incident and related Gullah visual arts that appear to have Igbo connections, returning to the Igbo and Southeastern Nigeria in this same 1803 era to explore the contexts of enslavement and related visual references there.