Negotiating the intangible heritage of Awka traditional paraphernalia in modern society

Awkatraditionalparaphernaliaistheproductofmanycenturies ofartistictraditions.Suchgreatworksofartmayseemlifelessto non-nativesbutarefunctionalinallspheresofAwkacommunity life. They depict the various tangible and intangible features of Awka culture. Despite the intricacy and functionality of these traditional artworks, they are gradually losing potency and relevance in Eurocentric post-colonial Nigerian society. The focus of modern museums and contemporary artworks has challenged the intangible essence of traditional paraphernalia. Thisstudyemployedthehistoricalresearchmethodandthematic analysis to explore the intangibility of the tangible heritage of the Awka traditional community. The mimesis theory of art was used to buttress the relevance of the intangible heritage represented in Awka traditional paraphernalia. The study found that its intangible heritage is the essence of Awka traditional paraphernalia. In addition, it found that traditional artworks were the mainstay of various cultural institutions and activities in the Awka community. It concluded that traditional artworks embody the beliefs and practices of the Awka community. The study suggests that contemporary artworks should be designed to reflect the intangibility of traditional paraphernalia in modern society.