Strange Woods

Evening News (London) – Monday 15 July 1957

Strange Woods

FQUALLY at home with black ebony, opepe, obeche, iroko and black afara is the man from Benin City.

Nigerian sculptor Felix Idubor has been carving these woods since he was eight. Now he comes to London, aged 29, to show 40 of his carvings in the pavilion of the Imperial Institute, South Kensington.

An entirely natural and self-taught artist, he tells me he has earned his living by his carving since he was 12.

His London exhibition – it continues until July 28 – includes the casket he carved for the Queen when she visited Nigeria.

Queen’s Album

The Scotsman – Thursday 08 November 1956

Queen’s Album

Many of the events in which the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh took part during the Royal tour of Nigeria earlier this year will be recalled to Her Majesty’s memory by an album of photographs which is to be presented to her tomorrow. The presentation is being made by the Commissioner for Nigeria, Mr Matthew Mbu, on behalf of the Federal Government, in commemoration of the visit.

To-day, Mr Mbu kindly allowed journalists to see the album and the beautifully carved ebony casket in which it will be presented. Both have been made by Nigerians using Nigerian materials. The album. bound in royal blue leather, has the Nigerian arms embossed in gold on the front and contains 25 pictures covering the highlights of the tour.

The photographs, taken by photographers of the Research and Information Ministry of Nigeria, are some of the finest examples of colour photography ever seen. A well-known Nigerian craftsman, Felix Idubor, executed the carvings on the casket of figures and animals representing different parts of the country. The casket’s key is made from gold mined in Nigeria.

Nigeria’s gift to the Queen

Halifax Evening Courier – Thursday 06 September 1956

[See the casket made by Felix Idubor held an album of photographs. Perhaps the box isn’t listed in the Royal Collection because it is filed under the photos.]

Chief Kola Balogun, Nigeria’s Federal Minister of Information and Research, with the casket of king ebony containing an album of photographs of the Royal visit, which is to be presented to the Queen in commemoration of her tour of West Africa earlier this year. The casket, made by local craftsman Mr. Felix Idubor, has a design symbolic of the three regions of Nigeria. It is to be brought as soon as possible from Lagos to London and will be presented to the Queen on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria.