A Photo Gallery of 8th UHS Annual Conference
Held at Effurun and Ovu, Urhoboland, Delta State, Nigeria,
27-29 November, 2009
Photo Gallery Compiled by Peter Ekeh.
Display of Urhobo Aristocracy
at the Thanksgiving Service of Urhobo Historical Society
Held at Ovu, Urhoboland,November 29, 2009
at the Thanksgiving Service of Urhobo Historical Society
Held at Ovu, Urhoboland,November 29, 2009
A remarkable feature of the dress mode of participants at the
Thanksgiving Ceremonies that were held at Ovu was that they
featured aristocratic distinctions. At the top of distinction
were the Kings who wear special forms of coral beads, usually in
multiple numbers, both around their necks and their wrists. In
addition, the Kings wear beaded crowns that are reddish in
colour. These head gears sometimes stretch down to cover the
ears and other times the cheeks of the kings. There are
heavily-gilded rings worn by the Kings.
Lower down the ladder of distinction are the high Chiefs
(usually titled as "Olorogun," or "Okakuro"). Their most
distinctive emblem is a rounded form of ruby-red beaded
neck-wear called
aghigho. Aghigho can
only be worn by titled Chiefs. These Chiefs have no distinctive
head wear beyond what other distinguished men and women can
afford. Nowadays, both men and women bear titles and can wear
aghigho.
Aghigho is a
fine-grained ruby-red coral bead that is exclusive to these
titled men and women.
Other men and women, who are not titled chiefs, can wear other
forms of coral beads. These are usually pink in colour. Their
form does not permit a roundish formation. They dangle down to
the navel. But these ordinary men and women can wear
clothes that are as expensive as the high Chiefs. Hats are worn
by men while women wear complicated head-gears which they
gingerly fold into acceptable forms.
