Igbo-Ukwu Copper Hand Fan (9th-11th century)

The Akupe (Igbo: àkùpè, (lit. 'fan')[1] is a traditional Igbo hand fan. Hand fans dated to the 9th-11th centuries have been unearthed in Igbo-Ukwu.[2][3] Modern Igbo hand fans are associated with marriages, high social status, or chieftancy.[4]

Akupe (handfan)

Modern Akupe are usually made of leather.[5] And decorative textiles, feathers and other accessories for the females for ceremonial uses. Akupe are mostly used in ceremonies, chieftancies, weddings, and special events.[5][6] The akupe represents honor, authority, prestige, an pride in one's heritage, often carried by chiefs, elders and grooms during important ceremonies.[7]

Akupe: use and symbolism in Igbo culture

The Akupe serves as both a ceremonial insignia and an element of elite male in Igbo Society. It is part of the regalia of titled men like the Ozo title holders, chiefs. and elders. Typically carried at the hand, it complements other symbols of status such as the Okpu, nkpara, nza or odu enyi and the traditional flowing shirt known as Isiagu,[8] Akwete or Akwa ocha.[9] Although is made of various materials, the titled men specifically use raw leather made handfans which is either called Akupe or agu[10] Other names generally used to refer to the ceremonial fan is nkuku and nzuzu especially among the Agbalanze titled group of Onitsha. The Akupe is designed and decorated in various ways but particularly in a thick and heavy pattern for the titled men. Their titles or names are written or carved at the surface of the handfans while their vehicle plate numbers are also designed as such for identification.[5]

The fan is not merely acquired by titled men but bestowed on them during the capping ceremony where candidates are installed as Nze no ozo title holders or red cap chiefs. The final stage of the ceremony involves handing the candidate the Okpu nze na ozo and the Ugo feather, a fan and a sword among other insignia.[11]

Akupe also serves as a ritual symbol in the Igbo mmanwu (masquerade) tradition, particularly in the cultural ceremony known as the Ijele dance where a significant personality among the dance group is known as Akupe carrier. While he is not a masquerade, he plays the prominent role of leading the Ijele with its symbolic powerful Akupe. The disappearance of either the Akupe or its bearer is believed to place the Ijele at risk. The Akupe bearer determines the movement of the Ijele, which moves or remains stationary according to the bearer's actions[12]

Akupe in Women's Ceremonies and Bridal Practices

The Akupe is traditionally associated with both men's and women's ceremonial practices in Igbo culture. Among women it features prominently in traditional marriage ceremonies (Igbankwu) and bridal processions where it is carried by the brides known as Nkpu girls and her maids of honour as a ceremonial emblem and a practical accessory. It is known as bridal hand fans in English. As early as 1920, Basden recorded the use of fans as an Igbo bridal custom where Igbo brides(Nkpu girls) were accompanied by maids of honour carrying "large fans wherewith to refresh their ladies after the bouts of dancing." The fans were carried to cool and refresh the bride during dances in the wedding processions.[13]

In Igbo dances and performance traditions, artistic hand-held fans are used for aesthetics and symbolic purposes where they form part of the ceremonial ensemble[14]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Translate 'àkùpè or 'akupe for Igbo and English meanings and definitions". nkowaokwu.com. Retrieved 2026-06-05.
  2. ↑ McIntosh, Susan Keech (2022). "Igbo-Ukwu at 50: A Symposium on Recent Archaeological Research and Analysis". The African Archaeological Review. 39 (4): 369–385. doi:10.1007/s10437-022-09495-5. ISSN 0263-0338. PMC 9640786. PMID 36405395.
  3. ↑ Shaw, Thurston (1977). Unearthing Igbo-Ukwu : archaeological discoveries in eastern Nigeria. Oxford University Press – via archive.org.
  4. ↑ Chudi-Duru, Chika (September 4, 2025). "Weaves And Prints: Perception Of The Potential Users Of Akwete-igbo Woven Textiles Inspired Prints And Constructed Apparels In Contemporary Fashion" (PDF). Ohazurume: Unizik Journal of Culture and Civilization. 3 (4). Retrieved 2026-06-05 – via ResearchGate.
  5. 1 2 3 The Journal of West African Languages. Cambridge University Press. 2005. p. 30.
  6. ↑ Ozo-mekuri, Ndimele (2019-03-31). Four Decades in the Study of Nigerian Languages and Linguistics: A Festschrift for Kay Williamson. M & J Grand Orbit Communications. ISBN 978-978-56440-0-5.
  7. ↑ "The Rich History of Akupe Igbo: Why This Fan Holds Deep Meaning in Igbo Culture". Rhoandnya.com. Retrieved Jun 12, 2026.
  8. ↑ Omolade, Ajetunmobi (2000). Themes in Social Studies Education and Culture: A book of Readings. Nigeria. pp. 156–166.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  9. ↑ Cite error: The named reference :8 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ↑ Ndimele, Ozo-mekuri (2003). Four Decades in the Study of Languages and Linguistics in Nigeria: A Festschrift for Kay Williamson. p. 435.
  11. ↑ Cite error: The named reference :14 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ↑ Ikemerike, Ikechukwu John; Efuruhievwe, Margaret Akpevweogene (2023). "Globalization as a Threat to Cultural Identity: A Case Study of Igba Ijele Dance Group of Awkuzu, Anambra State" (PDF). South-South Journal of Humanities and International Studies. 6 (1): 475–496.
  13. ↑ Basden, George Thomas (1921). Among the Ibos of Nigeria. Seeley, Service & Co., ltd.
  14. ↑ Obijiaku, Chidi (2023-02-27). "Hybridity In Modern Nigerian Music: The Case Of Igbo Choral Art Music". African Music: Journal of the International Library of African Music. 11 (4): 25–42. doi:10.21504/amj.v11i4.2456. ISSN 2524-2741.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akupe_(hand_fan)