This picture taken c. 1889, possibly by G. F. Packer credited with other photos from the Niger and Onitsha (and of Onitsha trading women),

This picture taken c. 1889, possibly by G. F. Packer credited with other photos from the Niger and Onitsha (and of Onitsha trading women),

This picture taken c. 1889, possibly by G. F. Packer credited with other photos from the Niger and Onitsha (and of Onitsha trading women), is annotated as ‘Trader from Timbuctou’ on the left and ‘Rich Trading Woman’ on the right.

It seems to show a member of the Onitsha women’s Otu Odu (ivory group) society often made up of women traders; the woman, noted as a trader, has on large ivory anklets still worn my members of this socio-economic women’s group today. The lady could even be an Omu, the Omu oversaw Onitsha markets, Igbo communities to the west of the Niger also had Omu. If Onitsha, the presence of the man from Timbuktu may illustrate the thousand-year old connection between the West African forest areas, the Sahel, and the Trans-Saharan trade, as shown by beads in the findings of Igbo Ukwu dating back to around the 9th century with their origins placed over the Sahara to places as far as Venice and India. The people from the north brought trade items like horses (for ritual use) to trade for goods such as ivory.