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===Ikenga===
{{Main|Ikenga}}
[[File:Raccolte Extraeuropee - Passaré 00279 - Statua Igbo - Nigeria.jpg|thumb|alt=An image of a carved deity named Ikenga, the grey wooden piece has legs, a stylised but simple body, a trinagular head and shallow facial features and two horns around 1/3 its size|A miniature abstract cylindrical Ikenga figure]]

Ikenga (literally 'place of strength') is an Arusi and a cult figure of the right hand and success found among the northern Igbo people. He is an icon of meditation exclusive to men and owners of the sculpture dedicate and refer to it as their 'right hand' which is considered instrumental to personal power and success.<ref name="ibos1912">{{cite book |first=G. T. |last=Basden |title=Among the Ibos of Nigeria: 1912 |publisher= Routledge |page=45 |year=2013 |isbn= 978-1136248498}}</ref><ref name="cole-social">{{cite web |first=Herbert M. |last=Cole |title=Igbo Art in Social Context |page=6 |publisher=University of Iowa Museum of Art |url=http://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/topic-essays/show/15?start=5 |access-date=2015-04-04 |archive-date=10 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150410230744/http://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/topic-essays/show/15?start=5 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Ikenga is a source of encoded knowledge unraveled through psychological principles. The image of Ikenga comprises someone's ''chi'' ('personal god'), his {{Transliteration|ig|ndichie}} (ancestors), ''aka Ikenga'' (right hand), ''ike'' (power) as well as spiritual activation through prayer and sacrifice.<ref name="Okere">{{cite news |last=Okere |first=Rose |title=Ikenga In Traditional Igbo Society |url=http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/arts/article02/110709?pdate=110709&ptitle=Ikenga%20In%20Traditional%20Igbo%20Society&cpdate=110709 |location=Lagos, Nigeria|newspaper=[[The Guardian (Nigeria)|The Guardian]]}}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Igbo cultures value of resourcefulness and individualism in society utilises the concept of Ikenga to regulate the relationship between individuality and family relations and obligations, as well as free will and industriousness balanced with destiny decided persons chi. Ikenga acts as a physical medium to the consciousness and emphasises individual initiative through reflection and meditation.<ref name="wiredu"/> Success validates the Ikenga and the sculptures act as visual representation of a person's inner success, people give offerings in thanks to the Ikenga after providing energy to overcome any unwanted pre-life choices.<ref name="wiredu"/> These choices are at the hands of the persons earth bound spirit, mmuo, who chooses sex, type, and lifespan before incarnation.<ref name="wiredu"/> The successful Ikenga influenced the saying of well-being 'íkéǹgàm kwụ̀ ọ̀tọ́ ta ta' meaning that 'my Ikenga stands upright today'.<ref name="ibos1912"/> During festivals of ''Ogbalido'' or {{Transliteration|ig|oriri Ikenga}} ('feast of Ikenga') sculptures of him may be paraded around a village or displayed at the village centre if too monumental to transport.<ref name="wiredu"/> When a person does not become successful with hard work the Ikenga has 'fallen' and is seen as a sign of danger, if meditation and cajoling the Ikenga fails, the sculpture is 'thrown down' and broken which spiritually kills the Ikenga; a new one is carved to replace it.<ref name="wiredu"/>

Ikenga figures are common cultural artefacts ranging for six inches to 6 feet high and can be humanistic or highly stylised.<ref name="wiredu"/><ref name="ibos1912"/> There are anthropomorphic, architectonic, and abstract cylindrical Ikenga sculptures.<ref name="wiredu"/> Ikenga is a symbol of success and personal achievement.<ref name="wiredu"/> Ikenga is mostly maintained, kept or owned by men and occasionally by women of high reputation and integrity in the society. At burials, a man's Ikenga is broken into two with one piece buried with him and the other destroyed.<ref name="wiredu"/><ref name="ibos1912"/>