Hausa urban art and its social background

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In late 1976, the investigation into decorated houses in the walled city of Zaria aimed to document the rapidly vanishing external wall decorations. This survey was a rescue operation to capture photographs and drawings before these artworks disappeared and to gather essential information from the compound heads and master craftsmen responsible for them. An initial survey identified nearly one thousand decorated houses, and by 1985, the collected material included 75 life stories of craftsmen. By the time the manuscript was completed, few traditional wall decorations remained, highlighting their decline in relevance among the younger generation of compound heads in Zaria and other northern Nigerian towns. The book is organized into three parts: PART I discusses the clientele, examining the client in Hausa society, the role of compound heads in house decoration, perceptions of decorations, and their significance as status symbols. PART II focuses on the craftsmen, detailing their place in Hausa society, the history of the building profession, the role of decoration in construction, production processes, training, and the use of decorative motifs. PART III delves into the decorations themselves, exploring their history, aesthetics, the influence of Islam, and their role in Hausa society. F. W. Schwerdtfeger serves as a professor at the Department of Architecture, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.