Obutong Tee · Plate IV · One of the Seven Original Clans · Pre-Order (Ships ASAP)

Obutong, Old Town, is one of the original Efik clans on the Calabar River. The plate renders it as an excavation section — layer beneath layer, first hearth at the bottom — because the layers remember who came first.

Navy shirt carries ivory and gold ink; white shirt carries navy. Full-front print.

History

Obutong holds the memory of first settlement on the Calabar River — the "Old Town" from which the other Efik towns later branched. In the 18th century it stood as a rival to Duke Town for the ship trade, a rivalry that ended in tragedy in 1767 when English captains lured Obutong's leaders aboard under truce and delivered them to their enemies — the massacre of Old Town, one of the darkest episodes of the Atlantic trade era. The town endured, and its seniority among the Efik settlements is still spoken of today.