‘Bambam’ displays the raffia headgear for the Abang royal women’s dance. In his hands are the small bells tied around the legs of the dancer, called ‘Mkpa etem’.

Abang Head gear.

When Bambam wants to work with raffia, he goes to the bush to find the raffia palm tree that is used to make raffia palm wine. This tree has more than 20 functions, he says. Bambam takes the young shoots from the palm tree, extracts the ‘fabric’ from them, then uses them for many products, including the Nyanya ‘chest piece’ of Idem Ikwo Ekpe masks, the Abang and Nyok headgear, handbags, and any other craft. He dyes the palm shoots various colors in his workshop.