In a traditional Igbo community, a man may have several wives,
and each wife has her own house. Below
is an example of a woman’s house. Note
how open the house is in construction. This particular house has designs that are modeled sculpturally
out of earth that is rich in clay. The
house was built in 1923, but the photograph is from 1966.
This house is traditional enough to have a thatched roof. A more modern custom has been to have a roof
of corrugated iron (iron became fashionable, though it was more uncomfortable
in hot weather). Houses are built by
men, but painted by women. Sometimes
the paintings are very elaborate and mark special occasions.
Woman’s house, built in 1923, photographed in 1966