New: the 2nd edition of Within Carved Lines: The Secret Meanings of African Masks is out now. Get the book → Nearly every tradition documented in this book relies on a dedicated maker: a guild of blacksmiths, a lineage of carvers, a workshop tied to a royal court. The Maasai, 350,000 nomadic herdsmen living mainly…
The Igbo kola nut ceremony opens every serious gathering. Learn who breaks the oji, what the prayer says, and the rules guests follow.
New: the 2nd edition of Within Carved Lines: The Secret Meanings of African Masks is out now. Get the book → Several traditions documented in this book grew their initiation systems from within, inventing the society and the mask that represents it together. The Malinke, named for their historical links to the empire of Mali…
African art restitution is about more than objects. See what has been returned, what is still held, and why it matters for communities.
New: the 2nd edition of Within Carved Lines: The Secret Meanings of African Masks is out now. Get the book → Several traditions documented in this book are known by the name of the people who still practice them. Ife is known instead by the name of a place, a ritual center in southwestern Nigeria…
The Igbo age grade system ran roads, markets and defence without kings. See how it worked and why colonial chiefs broke it.
New: the 2nd edition of Within Carved Lines: The Secret Meanings of African Masks is out now. Get the book → Several traditions documented in this book took shape by drawing a clear boundary against a powerful neighbor, keeping a famous kingdom’s style at arm’s length even while trading with it. The Wongo, 10,000 people…
Cultural heritage sponsorship works when communities keep ownership. See what a fair partnership looks like and what companies should ask.
Exploring African masks, masquerades, traditional religion, sacred dances, and the spiritual heritage of West Africa. Subscribe to SEVICS AFRICA for deep dives into African culture, history, and identity. Keep exploring I Decoded African Masks and Their Color Symbolism—Here’s What Shocked Me African Masquerades: Spirits or Myth? Here’s What Cultures Say This Bottle Holds a Dark…
The Adanta cultural dance troupe performs at the Adanta Cultural Festival in the city of Enugu in 2022. These African Conjuring Drums will hypnotise you | Adanta Cultural Festival 2022. Keep exploring Osisi Ofo Igbo Explained | The Sacred Wood of the Igbo I Decoded African Masks and Their Color Symbolism—Here’s What Shocked Me African…
This Bottle Magic will shock you! My Beautiful Izzi Culture Keep exploring Inside Nsukka’s Most Prized Tribal Ritual Osisi Ofo Igbo Explained | The Sacred Wood of the Igbo I Decoded African Masks and Their Color Symbolism—Here’s What Shocked Me African Masquerades: Spirits or Myth? Here’s What Cultures Say Watch more on SEVICS | AFRICAN…
New: the 2nd edition of Within Carved Lines: The Secret Meanings of African Masks is out now. Get the book → Most funerary objects documented in this book are built to last, kept in a shrine or passed down as a lineage’s most protected possession. The Ntomba, 5,000 people living on the banks of the…