The Mbari Houses of Ala (Igbo)
When the earth goddess Ala is displeased with a community, she demands that a Mbari house be built in her honor. Mbari houses are elaborate, open-sided clay temples that depict Ala surrounded by her children, Amadioha the thunder god, and everyday scenes of Igbo life. The construction of a Mbari house is a major communal undertaking: the entire village contributes labor, and specially initiated artists and priests design the sculptures. During construction, the artists live in seclusion and are forbidden from sexual contact. When the Mbari house is complete, a grand festival is held, and the h