Sociocultural materials and visual art: A functional analysis of Nigerian banknotes, 1973–2009

Abstract

In the past, crude material such as foodstuffs, textile materials, and ornaments (cowrie shells, manillas, and beads) served as money across nations and communities. In the time being, forms of monies have totally differed. Modern notes undergo processes of deliberate design, considering forms and imageries. Such imageries and elements included in currency design convey humanistic preoccupations relevant to societies in several ways. And as part of the characteristics, the notes are symbolic, stylistic, and functional to reveal prominent societal ideals as well as experiences of the people. This paper, through historical and analytical approaches, has investigated some of Nigeria’s banknotes from 1973 to 2009 as visual data for producing meaning from viewpoint of art and society. Here, I put forward the analysis of forms and meaning of imageries used in the bank notes designs using iconographic, iconological, functional, and structuralist methods. The paper has underscored naira banknotes as historical documents, archived with certain didactic functions. It has also established the need for routing society’s developments through art practice localized in content and context.

Keywords

• naira
• imageries
• banknote
• design
• nigeria
• style
• sociocultural