THE ARTISTIC ASPECTS OF CUSTOMARY MARRIAGE AMONG THE GBI IN THE VOLTA REGION OF GHANA

Like any African society, the Gbi, a sub-group of the Ewes located in the middle belt of the Volta Region of Ghana, attaches enormous socio-cultural and rich aesthetic values to the institution of marriage. As a common feature of African socio-cultural life, the Gbi seeks to maintain the cohesion of the family through marriage. In accordance with the Gbi and Ewe culture, marriage as a rite of passage is associated with some exquisite and unique transitional rites and performances. These rites and observations are not only for establishing and maintaining the family, but also for creating and sustaining the strong ties of kinship. Normally visible with marriages are libation prayers, exchange of gifts and captivating cultural performances. Though Gbi customary marriage is embedded with several art forms, the artistic relevance is normally glossed over or not taken serious note of. This might result due to the lack of appropriate orientation. This paper looks at the importance of infusion and use of art in the marriage customs of the people of Gbi in order to assert the relevance of the artistic symbolism embodied in their use. Observations made were mainly from the performances of indigenous customary marriage rites at Gbi Dzigbe and Nyigbe for close comparative analysis. Results indicated that, every artifact or symbolic representation used and ritual performed in Gbi marriage is both intended to function positively in promoting the cultural and aesthetic values of the people. The concept, form, belief of all the art forms used motivates the creation of artifacts for economic benefits and national development. It is a fact that indigenous visual art forms cannot be ignored in the day-to-day activities in the life cycle of the Gbi people, the Ewe and Africa as a whole. Indigenous art forms function in every aspect of human life that are marked in rites and observation such as conception, birth, naming, puberty, marriage, death, guidance, life enhancing support activities and remembrance.