Untitled
(John
Nkologo
Chilembwe)

Graphic Art and Photography by nubian x bibi

Featured in: Museum of Science and Industry "Black Creativity" Juried Art Exhibition (2023, Chicago, IL)

nubian x bibi wrapped Reverend John Nkologo Chilembwe in colors and patterns of indigenous spirtuality with a touch of resistance. The print includes the non-verbal language and writing system Adinkra by the Akan (Bono) people of Ghana and hieroglyphic writing by the Ancient Egyptians.

The Adinkra symbol ‘Akofena’ (Sword of War) represents courage and the symbol ‘Nyame Ye Ohene’ (God is King) represents supremacy of God.

The Ancient Egyptian hieroglyph ‘Ankh’ (Life) represents breath of life (`nh = ankh) and the afterlife.

Summary:

The leader of the Providence Industrial Mission, the Reverend John Chilembwe, had been educated in the United States from 1897, and had come back to Malawi in 1900. He had established a series of schools and outstations, operating within the colonial system.

Then in 1915, for reasons that are still debated, he led a smallscale, violent attack on aspects of that colonial society. The most dramatic, on Saturday 23 January, was the attack on the headquarters of the huge, 163,000 acre Magomero estate, run by Alexander Livingstone Bruce, who was the grandson of David Livingstone. The attack centered on the estate manager, William Jervis Livingstone, who may have been a remote relation of David Livingstone. His head was cut off and was brought back to the church, where John Chilembwe preached a sermon on the Sunday with the head beside him on a pole.

There were attacks on the subsidiary station, and three Europeans were killed. And then there were attacks on the African Lakes Corporation headquarters, Mandala, at Blantyre, to try and get guns and ammunition. Subsequently there were smaller attacks in Zomba, the colonial capital, and in Ncheu further north, and at Mlanje, but none of those three really took off.

The whole thing was over in a matter of days. Very few people were killed on the colonial side. Subsequently some 30 people were executed, and many more were imprisoned for lengthy periods.

*Summary sources are available when requested
*Summary has direct quotes

nubian x bibi wrapped William Headly in colors and patterns of determination with a touch of regalness. The print include the non-verbal language and writing system Adinkra by the Akan (Bono) people of Ghana, hieroglyphic writing by the Ancient Egyptians, and African instruments.

The Adinkra symbol ‘Fawohodie’ (Independence comes with its responsibilities) represents emancipation and the symbol ‘EPA’ (Handcuffs) represents slavery, justice, and law.

The African Sacred Bird ‘Bennu’ symbolizes rebirth, regeneration, life, power, and healing. The Bennu phoenix is a sacred bird in Heliopolis and is the Ba of the sun god, Ra. The return of the Bennu bird from its ashes after being burned in the sacred fire esoterically symbolizes the end of one age and the beginning of another age.

The ‘Djembe’ drum by the Bambara people of Mali, comes from the saying ‘Anke djé, anke bé’ which translates to ‘Everyone gathers together in peace.’ In the Bambara language, ‘Djé’ means ‘gather’ and ‘Bé’ means peace.

Summary:

William Headly, a contraband from a plantation near Raleigh N.C. arrived at New Bern N.C. on the 20th May 1864 having been six weeks on the road, neither sleeping or eating in a house during the time.

*Summary sources are available when requested
*Summary has direct quotes

UNTITLED (WILLIAM HEADLY)

ABOUT
nubian x bibi

Order

nubian x bibi produces narrative-driven work revolving around images of blackness through an unapologetic lens of freedom. nubian x bibi uses a multitude of African patterns, textures, languages, symbols, and culture systems to empower blackness. People of African descent have so many narratives that live and thrive within their blackness. These narratives are more valuable than any Van Gogh, Picasso, or Warhol painting.

nubian x bibi wrapped the Amistad Warriors in colors and patterns of home with a touch of God. The print includes the religion/spiritual system of the Bakongo/Kongo people of the Democratic Republic of Congo and hieroglyphic writing by the Ancient Egyptians.

The Dikenga (Kongo) Cosmogram is a symbol and way of life for the Bantu-Kongo people. The Cosmogram has four points symbolizing the four positions of the Sun. The four points and quadrants are divided by a vertical (mukula) and horizontal (kalonga) line. The four points are Musoni, Kala, Tukula, and Luvemba.

The African Sacred Bird ‘Bennu’ symbolizes rebirth, regeneration, life, power, and healing. The Bennu phoenix is a sacred bird in Heliopolis and is the Ba of the sun God, Ra. The return of the Bennu bird from its ashes after being burned in the sacred fire esoterically symbolizes the end of one age and the beginning of another era.

The African Sacred Beetle ‘Scarab’ symbolizes transformation, protection, regeneration, and rebirth. Also, the beetle was associated with the divine manifestation of the early morning sun, Khepri, whose name was written with the scarab hieroglyph and who was believed to roll the disk of the morning sun over the eastern horizon at daybreak.

Event Summary:

In 1839. the Spanish slave ship Amistad set sail from Havana to Puerto Principe, Cuba. The ship was carrying 53 Africans who, a few months earlier, had been abducted from their homeland in present-day Sierra Leone to be sold in Cuba. The captives revolted against the ship's crew, killing the captain and others but sparing the life of the ship's navigator so that he could set them on a course back to Africa. Instead, the navigator directed the ship north and west. After several weeks, a U.S. Navy vessel seized the Amistad off the coast of Long Island. The Africans were transported to New Haven, Connecticut, to be tried for mutiny, murder, and piracy. These charges were later dismissed, but the Africans were kept in prison as the case turned to salvage claims and property rights. In a trial in Federal District Court, a group of Cuban planters, the government of Spain, and the captain of the Amistad all claimed ownership of the Africans. After two years of legal battles, the case went before the U.S. Supreme Court, which ultimately ordered that the captives be set free. Thirty-five of the former captives returned to their homeland: the others had died at sea or while awaiting trial; New Haven resident William H. Townsend made drawings (and in most cases recorded the names) of the Amistad captives at the time of their trial.

Leader Summary:

Joseph Cinquez was the leader of a revolt among enslaved Africans aboard the Spanish ship ‘Amistad’ en route to Cuba in June 1839. The enslaved Africans seized control of the ship but were soon recaptured and charged with murder and piracy. This portrait was done while Cinquez (or ‘Cinque’) awaited trial in New Haven. Connecticut. John Quincy Adams represented the Africans before the Supreme Court, and thanks to his eloquence, they were set free and allowed to return to Africa. Sheffield’s portrait is sympathetic and informal. The text quotes Cinquez’s sober and moving speech to his comrades on board the ship after the mutiny. He said, “Brothers, we have done that which we purposed; our hands are now clean, for we have Striven to regain the precious heritage we received from our fathers... I am resolved it is better to die than to be a white man's slave... ”

Commissioned by the publisher of the New York ‘Sun,’ the print was described and advertised for sale in the account of the capture of the ‘Amistad,’ published in that newspaper's August 31, 1839 issue.

*Summary sources are available when requested
*Summary has direct quotes

Untitled
(Amistad Warriors)

Featured in: James Wise Gallery "Black Prometheus: The Legacy of Jacob Lawrence and Global Modernist Art of the Mid-Twentieth Century" Exhibition (2023, Norfolk, VA)

Featured in: Craven Arts Council & Gallery "Juneteenth" Exhibition (2022, New Bern, NC)

nubian x bibi wrapped Harriet Jacobs in colors and patterns of vigilance with a touch of honesty. The print includes the non-verbal language and writing system Adinkra by the Akan (Bono) people of Ghana and hieroglyphic writing by the Ancient Egyptians.

The Adinkra symbol ‘Nea Onnim No Sua a Ohu’ (He who does not know can know from learning) represents knowledge, life-long education, and a continued quest for knowledge.

The African Sacred Bird ‘Neret’ symbolizes mother and protection. Mut, in Ancient Egyptian religion, is a sky goddess and great divine mother. Mut is thought to have originated in the Nile River Delta or Middle Egypt. She came to prominence during the 18th dynasty (1539-1292 BCE) as the companion of the God Amon at Thebes, forming the Theban triad with him and with the youthful God Khons, who was said to be Mut's son. The name Mut means ‘mother,’ and her role was that of an older woman among the Gods. She was associated with the Uraeus (rearing cobra), lionesses, and royal crowns.

Summary:

She was born into bondage in Edenton, North Carolina, on February 11, 1813. Harriet Ann Jacobs was the daughter of enslaved Africans: Delilah and Daniel Jacobs. Harriet Jacobs is best known for her autobiography, ‘Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl,’ edited by white abolitionist Lydia Maria Child and published in 1852. Using the pseudonym ‘Linda Brent.’ Jacobs tells the story of her life as an enslaved African of a ‘Dr. Flint,’ to whom she was willed as a young African girl. At this point in her young life. Harriet encountered horrific sexual advances from Flint. She escaped Flint's household in 1835, but remained nearby, living in an attic for several years to stay near her son.

She made her final escape in 1842 and was able to reunite with her children. She settled in Rochester, New York, where she joined the network of abolitionists. At the urging of white abolitionist Amy Post, Jacobs wrote her autobiography.

*Summary sources are available when requested
*Summary has direct quotes

Untitled
(Harriet Jacobs)

Featured in: James Wise Gallery "Black Prometheus: The Legacy of Jacob Lawrence and Global Modernist Art of the Mid-Twentieth Century" Exhibition (2022, Norfolk, VA)

nubian x bibi wrapped Magpie (Cheyenne Chief Black Kettle’s Daughter) in colors and patterns of indigenous pride with a touch of remembrance. The print includes the non-verbal language and writing system Adinkra by the Akan (Bono) people of Ghana and symbols of Arapaho nationhood.

The Adinkra symbol ‘Sankofa’ (Sword of War) means “Go back and get it.” As the Akan proverb goes, “Se wo were fi na wosan kofa a yenkyiri.”

The African Sacred Bird ‘Neret’ symbolizes mother and protection. Mut, in Ancient Egyptian religion, is a sky goddess and great divine mother. Mut is thought to have originated in the Nile River Delta or Middle Egypt. She came to prominence during the 18th dynasty (1539-1292 BCE) as the companion of the God Amon at Thebes, forming the Theban triad with him and with the youthful God Khons, who was said to be Mut's son. The name Mut means ‘mother,’ and her role was that of an older woman among the Gods. She was associated with the Uraeus (rearing cobra), lionesses, and royal crowns.

The American Bison was intrinsic to the economy and survival of the Plains Indigenous People of what is now the USA (including the Crow, Cree, Kiowa, Apache, Comanche, Cheyenne, Ojibwe Blackfoot, and others). However, in the 1900s, the US Army and European settlers played a large roll in eliminating the American Bison from North America. General William Tecumseh Sherman, among other military leaders, believed that bison hunters “did more to defeat the nations in a few years than soldiers did in 50 years.” When Sherman signed the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, he wrote a friend that Indian hunting rights would be guaranteed by the treaty, but that the bison would be gone soon anyway and then the Indians would have no choice but to move to reservations. Colonel Richard Dodge, who was stationed in the Black Hills and wrote copious and highly lauded journals, wrote in 1867: “Every buffalo dead is an Indian gone.” The Secretary of the Interior in the 1870s, Columbus Delano, saw the decimation of the bison as serving a good cause. Delano wrote in his 1872 annual report, “The rapid disappearance of game from the former hunting-grounds must operate largely in favor of our efforts to confine the Indians to smaller areas and compel them to abandon their nomadic customs.”

The Arapaho Flag was created in 1936 as a sign of respect and remembrance for the Arapaho war veterans. The three colors each have a different meaning and symbolism: Red is for the People, Black so the People will be strong and will not fear death, and White represents knowledge to be passed on to the young. The seven stripes each represent one of the Seven Medicines of Life. The white triangle signifies the way one begins a prayer. ‘Hey-so-no-ne- hoe,’ which means, ‘Great Spirit, that's the way I want it.’ The circle in the exact center of the triangle is black on the bottom, because that's where the heart is. The top of the circle is red representing the human side, for our happiness, strength and sorrowful ways. The white line dividing the two spheres represents the Great Spirit so we will not forget who created us. The entire circle represents the world, the center of our lives. The Arapaho People approved and adopted the flag in 1956.

Summary:

Magpie was the daughter of Chief Black Kettle, the Cheyenne chief who was killed in the Battle of Washita River, in 1868. She was married to George Bent, the son of Cheyenne Native American Owl Woman and the American William Bent, founder of Bent Fort, Colorado.

*Summary sources are available when requested
*Summary has direct quotes

Untitled (Magpie, Chief Black Kettle's Daughter)

Graphic Art and Digital Photography By nubian x bibi

Featured in: Museum of Science and Industry "Black Creativity" Juried Art Exhibition (2023, Chicago, IL)

nubian x bibi wrapped Anna Julia Haywood Cooper in colors and patterns of courage with a touch of genius. The print includes hieroglyphic writing, numbers, and mythological symbols by the Ancient Egyptians.

The African Sacred Snake ‘Uraeus’ symbolizes sovereignty, royalty, deity, and divine authority. The origin of the word ‘Uraeus’ is Greek (Ouraeus) to describe the cobra's upright pose, which derives from the Egyptian word ‘iaref’ (cobra). The first Uraeus is believed to have been made from Earth’s dust and the spittle of Ra (Sun God) by the Goddess Isis, who used it to gain the throne of Egypt for her hubsand, Osiris.

The African Sacred Jackal ‘Anubis’ symbolizes protector, life, and regeneration. The origin of the word ‘Anubis’ is Greek. However, before the Greeks, the god was known as Anpu or Inpu. Anpu meaning "a royal child” and Inpu meaning "to decay." Anubis was the purveyor of mummification and the afterlife as well as the guardian of lost souls.

The Ancient Egyptians had two number systems: hieroglyph and hieratic. The hieroglyphic numeral system used base 10 without a symbol for zero.

Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Numeral System:

I = Single Stroke

10 = Heel Bone

100 = Rope Coil

1,000 = Loctus Flower

10,000 = Bent Finger

100,000 = Tadpole or Frog

1,000,000 = Heh (Man Sitting)

Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Uniliteral Signs:

3 / “a” as in father / Vulture

e / “e” as in meet / Flowering Reed-Leaf

y / “y” as in meet / Double Flowering Reed-Leaf

( / “a” as in father / Extended Arm

w / “oo” as in boot or in the beginning “w” as in wet / Quail-Chick

b / “b” as in boy / Lower Leg Foot

p / “p” as in put / Stool

f / “f” as in fun / Horned Viper

m / “m” as in more / Owl

n / “n” as in nun / Water

r / “r” as in run / Mouth

h / “h” as in house / Type of Enclosure

h / “h” aspirate h / Rope

h / “ck” as in lock / ???

h / “h” as in ich / Animal’s Belly with Udders

z ( s ) / “s” as in sit / Door-bolt

s / “s” as in sit / Folded Cloth

s / “sh” as in shoe / Pool of Water

q ( k ) / “q” as in quick / Hill-Slope

k / “k” as in Karen / Basket with a Handle

g / “g” as in gone / Jar-Stand

t / “t” as in take / Loaf of Bread

t / “ch” as in chase / Tethering Rope

d / “d” as in done / Hand

d / “j” as in just / Cobra

l / “l” as in lion / Lion

Summary:

Anna Julia Haywood Cooper published her first book, ‘A Voice from the South by a Black Woman of the South,’ in 1892. A Voice from the South advanced Cooper’s assertion that educated African (Black) women were necessary for uplifting the entire African (Black) race. African women fought for human rights but were largely overlooked by leaders of the Women’s Suffrage Movement. Cooper was particularly critical of European (White) womens racism, especially in organizations that proclaimed to advocate for the rights of all women. She openly confronted leaders of the women's movement for allowing racism to remain unchecked within the movement.

In 1902, Anna Julia Haywood Cooper was named principal of the M Street High School. As the principal, she enhanced the academic reputation of the school. Cooper’s controversial emphasis on college preparatory courses irked critics (such as Booker T. Washington) who favored vocational education for Africans (Blacks). Using trumped-up charges, the District of Columbia Board of Education refused to renew her contract for the 1905 - 06 school year. In 1910, she was rehired as a teacher at M Street (renamed Dunbar High School after 1916), where she stayed until 1930.

*Summary sources are available when requested
*Summary has direct quotes

Untitled
(Anna Julia Haywood Cooper)

Featured in: Contemporary Art Museum Raleigh "An Ode to Anna Julia Cooper" Exhibition (2023, Raleigh, NC)

nubian x bibi wrapped Lydia Kamakaeha Lili‘uokalani in colors and patterns of pride with a touch of resistance. The print includes hieroglyphic writing by the Ancient Egyptians, royal featherwork and sculptures by the indigenous Hawai’ians, and memorial portraits by the Akan people of Ghana.

The African Sacred Bird ‘Bennu’ symbolizes rebirth, regeneration, life, power, and healing. The Bennu phoenix is a sacred bird in Heliopolis and is the Ba of the sun god, Ra. The return of the Bennu bird from its ashes after being burned in the sacred fire esoterically symbolizes the end of one age and the beginning of another age.

The African Sacred ‘Nsodie’ (terracotta-made memorial portrait) symbolizes royalty. The Nsodie represents an Akan ruler from present-day southern Ghana or southeastern Côte d'Ivoire. It is an idealized representation whose serene expression, well-balanced features, and striated neck suggest the positive qualities such rulers are expected to embody. Created posthumously, royal images like this one were placed with the portraits of previous rulers in sacred areas wit- hin the cemetery called asensie. Generally, each royal figure was accompanied by sculptures of courtiers and servants, perhaps to provide aid and comfort to the deceased in the afterlife. Together, they formed sculptural assemblages that honored and preserved the memory of these respected individuals and the chiefly lineages of which they were part. At certain times of the year, the asensie was the focus of prayers, libations, and other offerings that ensured the continuing support and protection of the ancestors.

The enigmatic stone head and torso is one of a group of eleven stone figures discovered in 1894 on Necker Island, a barren outcrop of rock 300 miles northwest of the Hawai'ian islands. Necker was once inhabited by Polynesian settlers who built temple platforms and carved stone figures from the local basaltic rock, but the island was abandoned several centuries prior to European contact. Therefore, the precise identity and function of the Necker Island figures, which may date from about A.D.1000, is unknown.

The Royal Hawaiian Featherwork ‘Ahu ‘ula (cape and cloak) symbolizes monarchy, heavenly power, high rank, and manifestations of major gods. The capes were made up of thousands Hulu Manu (bird feathers) which consisted of red ‘i‘iwi (Vestiaria Coccinea) feathers, yellow and black ‘ō‘ō (Moho nobilis) feathers, and olonā (Touchardia latifolia) fiber. Also, the ‘Ahu ‘ula consist of ten the Unfortunately, Hawaiian Featherwork’s colors and intricate meanings were not passed down through the generations. But, Hawaiian divinity and chiefdom meanings related to colors of gods. Kū, god of governance and warfare, was associated with red; Kāne, god of life and creation, was associated with yellow; and Lono, god of fertility (and the balancing influence on Kū), was associated with black.

Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Uniliteral Signs:

3 / “a” as in father / Vulture

e / “e” as in meet / Flowering Reed-Leaf

y / “y” as in meet / Double Flowering Reed-Leaf

( / “a” as in father / Extended Arm

w / “oo” as in boot or in the beginning “w” as in wet / Quail-Chick

b / “b” as in boy / Lower Leg Foot

p / “p” as in put / Stool

f / “f” as in fun / Horned Viper

m / “m” as in more / Owl

n / “n” as in nun / Water

r / “r” as in run / Mouth

h / “h” as in house / Type of Enclosure

h / “h” aspirate h / Rope

h / “ck” as in lock / ???

h / “h” as in ich / Animal’s Belly with Udders

z ( s ) / “s” as in sit / Door-bolt

s / “s” as in sit / Folded Cloth

s / “sh” as in shoe / Pool of Water

q ( k ) / “q” as in quick / Hill-Slope

k / “k” as in Karen / Basket with a Handle

g / “g” as in gone / Jar-Stand

t / “t” as in take / Loaf of Bread

t / “ch” as in chase / Tethering Rope

d / “d” as in done / Hand

d / “j” as in just / Cobra

l / “l” as in lion / Lion

Summary:

1838 September 02 -
Lydia Kamaka‘eha (the future Queen Lili‘uokalani) is born to Analea Keohokālole and Caesar Kapa‘akea. Liliuokalani was the daughter of a high-ranking chief and chieftess who served as an adviser to King Kamehameha III.

1887 July -
King Kalākaua signs the “Bayonet Constitution.” Drafted by American businessmen, it shifts power from the monarch to a newly formed legislature, allows for election into the House of Nobles, alters voting rights, and favors commercial and industrial interests in the Hawai’ian Islands.

1891 January 29 -
Lili‘uokalani, the sister of King Kalākaua, becomes first sovereign queen, and the last monarch of the Hawai’i Islands (r. 1891-1893). Lili‘uokalani intends to return autonomy to the Hawaiian monarchy by replacing the Bayonet Constitiution of 1887. Her actions agitate her opponents, who are promoting US annexation of the Hawai’ian Islands.

1893 January 14 -
Lili‘uokalani announces her intention to introduce a new Constitution.

1893 January 17 -
Because Lili‘uokalani does not have the support of her cabinet and faces growing opposition ignited by business and foreign interests, the United States stages a coup d’état, landing troops from the USS Boston. Lili‘uokalani, under protest and to avoid bloodshed, yields her authority to the US. The Provisional Government takes control, with Sanford B. Dole as president. The US Minister to Hawai’i, John Leavitt Stevens, who favors annexation, recognizes the Provisional Government and the American flag. US troops take over ‘Iolani Palace, making it the Executive Building.

1893 July -
President Grover Cleveland appoints James H. Blount to head the US House of Representatives Foreign Relations Committee to investigate the events of the January 1893. He concludes (in the Blount Report) that the overthrow of the Hawaiian government was illegal, made possible through the actions of US diplomat John L. Stevens and through military force.

1894 Summer and Fall -
Without Queen Liliuokalani's knowledge, her supporters secretly conspired to overthrow the Republic of Hawai’i. They ordered weapons, which were shipped from San Francisco.

1895 January 06 -
At 9 p.m., led by Robert Wilcox, the royalist troops began the counter-revolution (1895 Wilcox Rebellion) to restore the Hawai’ian Monarchy.

1895 January 07 -
January 7, 1895: Hawai’i President Sanford B. Dole declared martial law.

1895 January 09 -
The last battle of the war was fought, and the counter-revolution ended with the counter revolution (1895 Wilcox Rebellion) failing and the Republic of Hawai’i prevailing.

1895 January 16 -
Queen Liliuokalani and Robert Wilcox were arrested. Wilcox surrendered in a fishing hut after hiding in the mountains.

1895 January 24 -
Queen Liliuokalani formally abdicated her throne to obtain leniency for the royalists.

1897 June 16 -
President William McKinley enacts a treaty, to be put before Congress later that year, to annex the Republic of Hawai’i. Queen Lili‘uokalani submits a diplomatic protest against the annexation treaty the following day.

1897 December -
The treaty of annexation is not ratified by the Senate.

1898 -
Queen Lili‘uokalani published Hawaii’s Story by Hawaii’s Queen. She worked closely with the American journalist Julius Palmer on the manuscript, and the book reflects her experiences and perspectives. This classic work is the only autobiography written by a Hawaiian monarch, and provides a glimpse of life in Honolulu during her lifetime.

1898 August 12 -
By joint resolution, the governing power of the Hawaiian Islands is transferred from Republic of Hawai’i to the US, without a treaty of annexation.

1917 November 11 -
Lili‘uokalani, the last ruler of the Hawai’ian monarchy, dies in exile at the age of 79, due to stroke.

*Summary sources are available when requested
*Summary has direct quotes

Untitled
(Lydia Kamakaeha Lili‘uokalani)

Featured in: Raleigh Fine Arts Society North Carolina Artists Exhibition (2023, Raleigh, NC)

nubian x bibi wrapped Mother Nature in colors and patterns of resilience with a touch of mysticism. The print includes hieroglyphic writing and numbers by the Ancient Egyptians, dolls by the Akan (Ghana) people, headdresses by the Baga (Guinea) people, and mythological symbols of the Yoruba and Fon (Nigeria and Benin) people.

The African Sacred Bird ‘Neret’ symbolizes mother and protection. Mut, in Ancient Egyptian tradition, is a sky goddess and great divine mother.

The African Sacred “Geat One” symbolizes protection during childbirth and rebirth. Taweret and other closely related goddesses were created from a blending of lion, hippo, crocodile, and human attributes. The three animals were some of the fiercest species found in Ancient Egypt and combining their strengths produced a most potent deity and therefore amulet. She is often portrayed leaning on a “Sa” symbol which means “protection”.

The African Sacred Doll “Akua'ba” (Ghana) symbolizes fertility and motherhood. The legend of the origination of the Akua'ba doll comes from the story of a woman named "Akua" who could not become pregnant and went to a local priest and commissioned the carving of a small wooden doll.

The Baga Nimba, or D'mba, (Guinea) symbolizes the female role in the Baga’s society as the great mother, protector of pregnant women, and agricultural governor. The Nimba is viewed as the vision of woman at her zenith of power, beauty, and affective presence; rather than a goddess or spirit.

The Orisha deity Nana Buluku, also known as Nana Buruku, is the most respected Orisha of all. She is the master teacher of all spells and hidden knowledge. Nana Buluku carries an Ibiri in her hand which is a tool capable of warding off evil spirits, healing wounds, treating diseases, and casting curses. More importantly, she is the wife of Obatala, the Creator.

Summary:

In 2017, Stephanie Jones-Rogers’ article titled, ‘[S]he could…spare one ample breast for the profit of her owner...’ examined how white mothers developed a ‘Wet Nurse’ economy by renting, loaning, and selling enslaved African women as wet nurses. The niche economy was mostly carried out within US Southern and Latin America households which kept this economy hidden in the broader sense of “traditional” enslaved skills and labor. Also, the article discussed how white mothers’ desires and demands were crucial to the commodification of enslaved African women’s reproductive bodies, their breast milk, and maternal care they provided to white children.

Below are newspaper advertisements for enslaved African ‘Wet Nurses’ in Brazil and South Carolina:

“Whoever wants to buy a creole slave, still a young girl, with good milk and in great quantity, who gave birth twenty days ago, should go to Rua das Marrecas, facing toward the public plaza.” (Diario do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 18, 1821.

“For rent, a wet nurse with very good milk, from her first pregnancy, gave birth six days ago, in the Rua dos Pescadores, No. 64. Be it advised that she does not have a child.” (Jornal do Comercio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, December 10, 1827.)

“For rent an eighteen-year-old girl, wet nurse, healthy, and with much good milk for the last two months. She is for rent because her child has died.” (Rua da Candelaria No. 18A. 0 Mercantil, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 30, 1845.)

“TO BE HIRED, A Healthy Black WET NURSE without a child, with good breast milk. Enquire Mrs. Dawfon.... ” (City Gazette and Daily Advertiser, Charleston, South Carolina, 28 Octoberm1795.

“Wet nurse, seamstress, washer, ironer, and house servant…her child [who was] about six weeks old’, and a ‘Boy to attend to it... ” (The Southern Patriot, Charleston, South Carolina, 10 May 1842.)

“Offer at a private sale, a healthy young woman and child, suitable for WET NURSE. For further particulars, apply at our offices... ” (The Charleston Mercury, Charleston, South `Carolina, 7 June 1856.)

*Summary sources are available when requested
*Summary has direct quotes

Untitled (#METOO First Victim and Victor)

Featured in: 2024 Fine Arts Exhibition: Forced Perspective Decatur Arts Festival Exhibition (2024, Decatur, GA)

Untitled(John Nkologo Chilembwe)

UNTITLED (WILLIAM HEADLY)

ABOUT nubian x bibi

Untitled(Amistad Warriors)

EXHIBITIONS

Untitled(Harriet Jacobs)

Untitled (Magpie, Chief Black Kettle's Daughter)

Stay connected

Untitled(Anna Julia Haywood Cooper)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Untitled(Lydia Kamakaeha Lili‘uokalani)

Untitled (#METOO First Victim and Victor)

CONTACT US Are you interested in having nubian x bibi adorn your beloved ancestors, forgotten heroes, or historical documents? Get in touch!

Untitled
(John
Nkologo
Chilembwe)

ABOUT
nubian x bibi

Untitled
(Amistad Warriors)

Untitled
(Harriet Jacobs)

Untitled
(Anna Julia Haywood Cooper)

Untitled
(Lydia Kamakaeha Lili‘uokalani)

CONTACT US
Are you interested in having nubian x bibi adorn your beloved ancestors, forgotten heroes, or historical documents? Get in touch!