The Esie National Museum
A museum is an institution that is dedicated to preserving and interpreting a collection of artefacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical and scientific significance. Museums are founded to serve as recreational and educational facilities.
The National Museum Esie is the oldest museum in Nigeria. Established in 1945, the art museum houses the largest collection of soapstone figures in the world. The museum is located at Igbomina town of Esie, Irepodun LGA, in Kwara State. The stone figures were discovered in 1775 by Baragon, a famous hunter who led a group of refugees from old Oyo to Esie. His lineage is traceable back to Okanbi, son of Oduduwa, the progenitor of the Yoruba race. The sculptures were accidentally discovered in a grove, arranged in a semi-circle. This grove is located about 1.4 kilometres south-west of Esie township and contained over one thousand stone carvings of men and women, presided over by a king. The origin of these stones is unknown and is shrouded in myths. The settlers believed that the sculptures were human beings turned to stone by the Supreme Being (Olodumare), while archaeologists believe that they were made in the stone age by some yet to be identified gifted carvers.
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Soapstone is a type of metamorphic rock composed largely of the magnesium-rich mineral talc. Soapstone has been a medium for carving for thousands of years. The sculptures range in height from 1.4 to 120 cm and weight between 0.55 and 104 kilograms, and they represent people engaged in different social activities: some playing musical instruments and many armed with arrows, machetes and unidentified objects. Majority of the objects depict 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 a highly developed African Society of the past.
The museum, which now has both old and modern galleries contains more than 1500 objects; the old gallery has between 1000 and 1500 stone figures and the modern gallery with over 500. The modern gallery showcases artefacts and cultural materials from every part of the country.
In modern times, the Esie museum has been the centre of religious activities and hosts a festival in the month of April every year. During the children’s day celebration, the museum packages programs for secondary school students on cultural heritage, educating them on the importance of Nigerian culture and development. There is a hotel beside the museum for visitors to lodge in and a zoo at the back of the hotel for recreation.
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