Kom Carved Artefacts; A Reflection of its History and Cultural Heritage

The Kom country as most communities in its neighborhood like Oku, Kijem and Bamungo has a rich carving history which was highly respected to the extent that even Kings in these areas were carvers. This study focuses on the carved objects of Kom and how its history and cultural heritage is embedded in these carved art. The study equally examines how the people of Kom have been able to preserve their heritage and culture through their arts and craft designs and how these institutions have survived in the midst of eroding colonialism and other aspects of globalization. The main contention in this study is that much of Kom’s historical heritage is found in its carved arts. This is due to the symbols and culture that these carvings possessed. To realize the above, this researcher adopted a historical method of research. A qualitative and descriptive instrument of analyses were adopted to be able to interpret and convey history through carved works. Also, Both primary and secondary sources were consulted in the course of the research. For instance, oral interviews were dictated to be of considerable significance and as such oral interviews were conducted in the Kom community. Secondary sources which included books, journal articles and other publications were also used. This study shows that Kom has rich carvings that represent their history, religion and governance. The study also found out that before the advent of westernization, the Kom people had well established local cottages industries, where the people’s economic, social, political, religious and cultural lives was represented.