Thesis Abstract

<p> </p><p>Title Page i.<br>Certification ii.<br>Approval Page iii.<br>Acknowledgement iv.<br>Dedication v.<br>Preface vi.<br>Table of Content vii.<br>CHAPTER ONE (Introduction)<br>1.1 Background of the Study 1<br>1.2 Statement of the Problem 5<br>1.3 Objectives of the Study 6<br>1.4 Limitation 6<br>1.5 Significance of the Study 7<br>CHAPTER TWO<br>Literature Review 9<br>CHAPTER THREE<br>Methodology 19<br>CHAPTER FOUR<br>Analysis 32<br>CHAPTER FIVE<br>Myths and Fables Around the Calabash 39<br>CHAPTER SIX<br>Calabash as a Creative Resource 44<br>9<br>CHAPTER SEVEN 53<br>Conclusion<br>Reference 54</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <br><p></p>

Thesis Overview

<p> INTRODUCTION<br>1.1 Background of the Study<br>Most natural objects have organic shapes because they reflect the free-flowing aspects of<br>precise species and hence their irregular shapes. Some characteristics that help us to appreciate the<br>shapes and forms such as surface, weight and mass, material composition and position in space add<br>to our experiences and heighten our visual pleasure. When we draw or construct shapes, we need to<br>understand how to interpret qualities such as lightness or heaviness. There is a striking difference in<br>the quality or value contrast between rendering a cloud and rendering a rock or a mountain form.<br>While the former has subtle flow and diffused edge, the latter is described with sharp surface quality,<br>coarse and edgy structure.<br>The surface and shape of the calabash are two of many qualities that not only inform but also<br>delight the eye. Visually experiencing smooth textured surface is often linked with past tactile<br>encounters with the human skin. For the sightless, the tactile experience translates important<br>impressions from fingers to brain. Both eyes and fingers can move easily across glass, finished wood,<br>polished metal or processed gourd. However, some natural medium can be transformed into eerie or<br>surrealistic forms by changing their texture or juxtaposition their various forms. Invariably, our<br>psychological responses are heightened by seeing such unusual effect where shapes or forms are<br>10<br>positioned in space to generate a force or create a feeling of repose and stability, visual strength or<br>action.<br>Nature, with its almost unlimited supply of forms, is a great source of design. It has always been a<br>primary stimulus for artist and the calabash being an object of nature, could perhaps be an<br>interesting medium for the researcher to begin.<br>In fact, there is no household item that is so responsive to human need as did the calabash in<br>the ancient time. Its multiple functions to different people have not only made it common to all<br>cultures but also popular. The etymology of the word came from sources that are quite equivocal.<br>One came from Spanish ‘Calabaza, another, possibly from Arabic Car’ayabisa dry gourd or from<br>Persian “Kharabuz, used for various large melons; or from pre-Roman Iberian Calapacia.’ When<br>people of temperate regions used the word calabash they are referring usually to the fruit of the<br>calabash gourd. Or bottle gourd, Legenaria Siceraria (Legenaria Vulgaris) an annual vine of the<br>Cucurbitaceae.<br>According to Bailey (1956) ‘The original species of Legeneria Siceraria is probably from<br>tropical Africa and eastern India. The Gourd families which include vine species that may exceed 700,<br>with at least 100 different genera, are actually primordial.”<br>Morton (1957) adds that ‘the variously shaped and multi-coloured fruits of this species, dried<br>and often varnished are usually utilitarian or familiar as decorations”. While some use the calabash as<br>bird houses, food conservers, dippers or ladles and musical instruments and so on, others see it as<br>sacred.<br>Another variety of the hard-shelled fruit is the crescentia cujete or crescentia alata, popular<br>as the calabash tree. Wayne’s Word (1996) acknowledged that ‘there are two species of calabash<br>11<br>trees that grow wild in Mexico’(p4). Similar species of crescentia cujete that is found in parts of<br>Nigeria, however, is easily identified because it has simple leaves and gourd-like fruits. Yvonne (1995)<br>confirms that gourds grow in most parts of Africa. When cut and dried, they are used as food bowl,<br>serving dishes and sound boxes for musical instruments.<br>The word calabash and gourd have been used interchangeably over the years to mean the<br>same thing, and they will also be used in this manner in this project report.<br>It is rather fascinating to note the diverse ways gourds are appreciated around the world.<br>Modecai (1978) admits that, ‘So important were gourds to the Haitians in the 1800’s that gourd was<br>made the national currency by the then governor of northern Haiti, Henri Christopher. To this day,<br>the standard coin of Haiti is called the gourd’<br>In other parts of the world, the value of gourds goes beyond finances and ventured into food<br>and health. According to a leading authority on gourd, Whitaker and Robinson(1986) ‘early people in<br>the new world that are diet conscious know that squashes are low in calories, high in fiber, and some<br>are rich in Vitamin ‘A’. They can be eaten raw in Salad, or fried, boiled, steamed, pickled, candied,<br>dried, baked or made into pies and bread’ especially by the Asians and Caribbean.<br>The ancient Chinese remedy for health recommends that doctors carry medicine inside<br>calabash because it has fabled properties for healing. Whitaker and Robinson (1986) accept that the<br>hulu is believed to absorb negative earth-based qi (energy) that would otherwise affect health hence,<br>its use as traditional Chinese medicine core. In Hawaii, the ATM machines of University of Hawaii<br>Federal Credit Union (UHFCU) are labeled Kalabash perhaps because they can be thought of as a<br>large serving bowl for twenty-dollar bills. Further influence of calabash was evident on the soccer city<br>stadium that hosted the FIFA world cup 2010. This great structure in South Africa has a shape inspired<br>by calabash.<br>12<br>The Crook Neck gourds are carrier vessels for the popular liquors (palm wine, brukutu, pito,<br>ogogoro etc) of the West African region. Also, Kora, a harp lute used today as the symbol of the most<br>prestigious African music award is adopted from a calabash musical instrument. On a humorous note,<br>people in most West African countries use the title ‘second in calabash’ often to refer to someone<br>who is the second in command.<br>The BBC news of 6th January 2009 reported on ‘Nigeria biker’s vegetable helmets’ where<br>calabash was used to avoid a law requiring the wearing of helmet on motorcycle. Unlike the bikers,<br>the people of Argungu took a positive twist by perfecting the art of fishing on round gourds as<br>floaters. Most especially when they display their skills annually during the fishing festival in Kebbi<br>state, Nigeria.<br>Summit &amp; Wides (1996) reports that, New Guinea however, has one of the most remarkable<br>use for gourds. Interestingly, is the use of penial sheath gourds for their males, which has<br>considerable speculation among anthropologist about the purpose of such gourds. Yet, it is agreed<br>that they serve more than just being a protective device for the penis but, also serve an important<br>social function.<br>The calabash has been used to transmit words that rejuvenate the spirit of Africa in her<br>people, but the mysteries of this great fruit linger like the myths in the tales that they carry. The<br>religious life of the African people was characterized by the uses of certain objects and vessels during<br>their worship sessions in the ancient times. This was due to the presence of rituals in the worship<br>pattern of the indigenous religion and one of the most prominent vessels used during those rituals is<br>the calabash. The same calabash serves as containers for storing concoctions from the native doctors<br>meant to ward off evil spirits, thieves, or even to charm people. Other circumstances where the<br>13<br>calabash is outstanding included masquerade dance theatres and burial rites, where women and<br>children are mostly forbidden from participating.<br>Such uses of the calabash as the ones mentioned above have made it appear hideous,<br>extremely sacred and repelling to some modern day Africans. The body of work intended in this<br>research is however an attempt to pry into some of these mysteries through the explorations of<br>calabash as a sculptural medium<br>1.2 Statement of the Problem<br>Despite its inherent qualities, prolong history of use, and commonality, work<br>produced in calabash are stereotypically relegated to the confines of craft, religion<br>or fetish, and not acceptable as sculptural pieces.<br>Works of art that art presented in calabashes are thus restricted to an aspect of art<br>that have shallow meanings and which are produced by common skilled people”. This is because<br>most calabash works particularly in Africa either serve one utilitarian function or the other. But this<br>case is even made worse by the introduction of plastics as substitute containers at a relatively low<br>price which has adversely resulted in the low patronage of calabash works for either household<br>utensils or decorative items.<br>From the available literature reviewed for the purpose of this studio research, there is no<br>evidence of free standing large scale calabash outdoor sculpture in the open space in Nigeria<br>elsewhere. In spite of the immense potentials that the calabash holdes for creative expressions,<br>particularly in sculpture, artists have scarcely explored the medium elaborately for their studio works.<br>Apart from the Fulani milk maids’ calabashes which incidentally are regarded as craft, all other<br>calabash works are mixed-media pieces where calabash is brought in as supporting element in the<br>14<br>composition. However, subjecting calabash to critical studio explorations<br>to discover creative potentials locked in the medium and the means to exploit the potentials have<br>formed the thrust of this studio enquiry.<br>1.3 Objectives of the Study<br>The objective of the research is: to create free standing sculpture with whole gourds so as to<br>accentuate the variety of forms inherent in the medium, in an attempt to establish calabash as a<br>viable sculptural medium.<br>The researcher will through exhibition of the research work rejuvenate appreciation for<br>calabash from the public.<br>To stretch the context of the use of calabash to such limit of being placed outdoors.<br>To evoke a consciousness in the minds of government and policy makers on the need to<br>formulate policies that promote Nigeria cultural relics.<br>The researcher is focused on exploration with various calabash forms for display outdoors<br>with a view to reviving a public appreciation for the medium.<br>1.4 Limitation<br>Due to low patronage, calabash is scarce thereby, making it expensive in the few places<br>where it is found. The acquisition of the product has become perilous lately due to the civil unrest of<br>“Boko Haram” in most parts of the northern Nigeria. And in the eastern and western parts of Nigeria<br>15<br>the product is not found in the open market unless one travels to the villages. The challenge in the<br>southern part of Nigeria is that of difficult challenge most especially during the calabash harvest<br>season.<br>Sequel to the above, transporting calabash from several parts of the country to Enugu has<br>been herculean. Though the material is light weight it is bulky and therefore, takes up more space<br>that transporters had to charge higher fares or refuse transporting the items a times.<br>These among many other factors like language barrier between the researcher and the<br>people in some local community where calabash is found.; and also the fear due to stigma that<br>calabash is considered fetish makes some people unwilling to dialogue with the researcher, thus,<br>dwindled the pace of the research.<br>1.5 Significance of the Study<br>Sculptures in open spaces in various media have been done elsewhere and especially in<br>Nigeria. The bulk of the work of this research is an attempt to stretch the context of the use of<br>calabash to such limit of being placed outdoors. This is in addition to bridging the yawning gap of such<br>pieces in a material like calabash: an unusual phenomenon in the Nigerian landscape.<br>To pave way for other artists to venture into the medium and explore its limitless unique<br>characteristics.<br>Definition of Terms<br>Anansi- In Ghanaian myth; an epitome of wisdom or a trick-star, prominent in Ashanti<br>oral culture<br>16<br>Burkutu- A local brew made from sorghum popular in the northern part of Nigeria.<br>Ha-le-mau-mau- Hawaiian sacred mountain<br>Hulu- Chinese word for bottle gourd<br>Jibue-A Jenjo (a tribe in Karim-lamido LGA, Taraba State) word for ladle<br>Nyame- The God of wisdom in Ghanaian myth<br>Obatala- The creator of mankind in Yoruba myth.<br>Oduduwa- A Yoruba deity of good will<br>Ogogoro- A local gin distilled from coconut or palm tree.<br>Olodomare- The Yoruba word for the Almighty God.<br>Pele- Hawaiian goddess of fire, hospitality, kindness and reward.<br>Pito- The Hausa word for burkutu that is not yet fermented.<br>Poi- A Hawaiian word for portage.<br>Shantu- A popular musical instrument derived from calabash, usually played by women<br>and teenage girls in northern Nigeria.<br>Shinto- A Japanese cult that believes in the generative force of nature coexisting with<br>humankind.<br>Zana- Mat- fence made of straw / grass that is popular as screen, wall fencing in northern Nigeria. <br></p>