In the sleepy Igbomina town of Esie, Irepodun LGA Kwara State lays the first museum in Nigeria. The museum was established in 1945 to house one of the greatest treasures ever bequeathed to mankind, Esie Stone Images (Ere Esie).

Ere Esie has long been known and associated with the people of Esie. Indeed, it has become a referent in the cosmology and socio-cultural spectrum of the people. However, the origin of these stone figures has long been a subject of social and academic discourse. In some quarters, it is believed that the images were formally human beings turned to stone by Supreme Being (Olodumare), while researchers and Archaeological findings prove that they were carved by some yet to be identified carvers. In fact, the objects are shrouded in great mysteries, myths and taboos.

It is widely believed that Esie people migrated from old Oyo in the years of Alafin Amuniwaye (late 18th Century). An Oyo prince, Adesole had contested the throne with Amuniwaye and lost. Consequently, he had to leave the Oyo town as tradition forbade him to stay after losing the contest. These Oyo emigrants, having wondered and settled at different places finally came to their present abode around 1775. It is also believed that a famous hunter, Baragbon who took the mantle of leadership led the people to Esie. It is equally believed that it was Baragbon, during one of his hunting expeditions that he accidentally discovered the stone images in a grove arranged in a semi-circle. This grove is located about 1.4 kilometres south west of Esie Township. The images consist of over one thousand stone carvings of men and women presided over by a king (Oba Ere), the largest collection of stone images in sub-Sahara Africa. Majority of the objects are carved in sitting position and were manufactured from steatite type of rock, otherwise known as soapstone. Features like facial marks and striations are seen on majority of the objects while some of the heads are plain-faced.
The sculptures range in height from 1.4 to 120 cm and weight between 0.55 and 104 kilograms. The carvings represent people engaged in different social activities: some playing musical instruments and many armed with arrows, machetes and unidentified objects. Few objects represent lower social status while majority of the objects depicts higher social status as attested by their rich attires, heavy beads and well-designed headgears. The artistry of the objects suggests that the objects were produced by highly developed African Society of the past.

These impressive artistic features of the object prompted the then colonial government of Nigeria to build a shelter to house the images in 1945 at the site of discovery (National Museum, Esie).

Other facilities include:
• Vast land mass suitable for eco-museum
• Viable archaeological sites for excavation
• Spacious children playing ground
• A modern gallery with a permanent exhibition titled; Indigenous Artworks as Indicators of Cultural harmony
• A stand-by generating set.
• Serene environment etc.

For more inquires visit: www.ncmmnigeria.com
e-mail: esiemuseum@yahoo.com

Can you please talk about the myths surrounding the Ere Esie?
Were they carved?

Marked

Kkk

Hokay

yh

where is the museum.
i see amusement park

Why must there be a picture of a white man?

After 2013 January.

His topic made front page today April 2015

Reminiscence

Op you should have posted the pics of artifacts that are in the museum

Awesome. Front page tins.


Halleluyah

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Hahaha I was here,note.

No carvings yet in the post?That's more important than the whole story. Abeg, upload sharp sharp. Thanks.

Is that the museum?

Where is d ere op?

Good to know

Museum ? see all these old school agbaya

www.nairaland.com/attachments/962636_children_playing_ground_JPGdf3d7ff1aeda8ba44d6406009e37ec3f

Its like u are closely related to an MOD, How this trash take make FP?

ok

reliableme:
Where is d ere op?

The op has scammed the moods..

No pics of the ere

wahooooo

[quote author=Clefcentfelix post=33166362][/quote]
[size=18pt]
Na to first go ORI OKE, fast for 100 days and 100 nights before i enter this kind zone because all the demons wey go dey watch champions league as people dey come even TB joshua+adeboye+oyedepo go need form Arsenal attack to cast em out if they follow u home [/size]

www.nairaland.com/attachments/2352843_p3090077_jpegb952b9af5bb1e3d979a07581046af415

www.nairaland.com/attachments/2352844_stevensstatues_jpegc52ee26373bada46b7c606b6ae3df726

www.nairaland.com/attachments/2352845_stevensmuseumsm_jpeg2b15cb0bcd22eb23f661cc6602f0cbe3

Where the ere dey na

Watin I dey see so? This people no no sey them done old ni

Waiting, where is this OP sef, abi u don sleep, is that all?..... In fact I need to tied the mod that put this in FP

[quote author=Clefcentfelix post=33166362][/quote]

Thanks man. I appreciate this. I am gonna save them. We are really greater than we think as a people. We need to harness our talents and cultures. Nigeria is a great and blessed country, for sure.

Good one