Monsurat Abimbola Mustapha Represented by: Kazeem Omoniyi Raheem

Nigeria

Traditional Embossed Cooking-Ware and Sculpture

Decorated and embossed cooking utensils and serving containers are used by the Bida people of the Niger Sate of Nigeria during family activities and on special occasions to show love of their traditions. The intriguing designs are made by the women and the men of the town apply the designs to the heated metal.

Monsurat learned her craft from her grandmother and after graduating from college in Business Administration she decided to apply her newly acquired marketing skills to increase the sales of herself and other women. Traditionally the men of the town received most of the credit for the production since women were forbidden to go to the foundry and their designing skills were often left out of the product profiles. By increasing the prominence of the women’s work in the process Monsurat has been instrumental in raising the community awareness of the important role women play in production of these pieces and this has increased sales for herself and other women.