page_title: Kwagh-Hir
section_title: Kwagh-hir aesthetics and cosmetics
hierarchical_section_title: Kwagh-Hir / Kwagh-hir aesthetics and cosmetics
caption_attribution_description: English: Kwagh-hir is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
context_page_description: Kwagh-hir is a multipart culturally edifying art form of the Tiv people of central Nigeria which became popular in the 1960s. It is a dramatic public performance telling moral stories of past and current events, and incorporates puppetry, masquerading, poetry, music, dance and animated narratives to portray its moral themes. It is used by the Tiv people to reinforce traditional beliefs and convey other worldly tales to educate, socialize, provide secular entertainment and address societal issues.
  Kwagh-hir is a higher art form of kwagh-alom, an aged practice of the Tiv people where the family was treated to a storytelling session by creative storytellers, usually in the early hours of the night after the day's farming work by moonlight.
  The most familiar variant of the kwagh-hir according to Jonathan Fogel may be the Punch and Judy show, in which recognizable characters lampoons current political figures and events in the news while also referencing an array of cultural mores.
  Kwagh-hir was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2019 by the decision of the Intergovernmental Committee: 14.COM 10.B.27
context_section_description: Kwagh-hir aesthetics are drawn from the patterns of the Tiv culture and depicts the Tiv understanding of their life. This is projected by the use of varied design concepts that are sewn into various styles so as to connote societal activities. The masks are elaborate and reflect the versatile aesthetic background of the Tiv people. It incorporates certain Tiv social dances like Swange, Gberichul, Ihinga, Ivom, Iee, Igbe, Ibiamegh, Girinya  and other comic forms.
  The sundry accoutrements of kwagh-hir all have a moral standpoints. The puppets are naturalistic, grotesque and even ridiculous, yet all reflecting the moral prejudices and sanctions of the Tiv society. Historical awareness is shown in some puppets which represents events such as when the first woman emerged or when modern dress styles of European design gained local acceptance.
  The kwagh-hir puppets possess aesthetic characteristics such as triangular noses, Nok-like eyes, small lips and triangular nostrils. The colours used in painting the puppets are vibrant, because the kwagh-hir artists use colours straight from the source. There is no deliberate attempt at creating tones, shades or tints. Costumes for the masquerade are elaborately made and are also highly coloured.
  Each of the masks and masquerade objects are crafted to depict symbolic action and movement that explains aspects of the Tiv worldview. Each mask nuances expresses, and interprets reality among human, animal, spirit, and environment. Each conveys deep emotions of fear, laughter, anger, love and even indifference. Each kwagh-hir character is associated with its appearance and creates a non-visual layer of recognition for audience members.
caption: A kwagh-hir animated character performs during the Benue Youth Carnival
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