IchiĀ was a form of facial ritualĀ scarificationĀ worn by mainly men of theĀ Igbo peopleĀ ofĀ Nigeria. The scarification indicated that the wearer had passed through initial initiation into the aristocraticĀ Nze na OzoĀ society,Ā thus marking the wearer asĀ nobility. Echoes of this tradition are found in the contemporary derivative wordĀ Ichie, which denotes a member of a class ofĀ titled chieftainsĀ amongst the Igbo.
The scarification was found among men in the Awka-Nri areas and among a few women in theĀ AwgwuĀ and Nkanu areas. Its wearers were authorized to perform ritual cleansing of abominations and to confer titles on people.Ā People with facial marks were regarded asĀ NriĀ men and were less likely to be taken as slaves. Other parts of Igbo land may have started wearing Ichi as a result of this.Ā There are two styles; theĀ NriĀ style worn in the Awka-Nri areas, and the Agbaja style worn in the Awgwu and Nkanu areas.Ā In the Nri style, the carved line ran from the center of the forehead down to the chin. A second line ran across the face, from the right cheek to the left. This was repeated to obtain a pattern meant to imitate the rays of the sun. In the Agbaja style, circles and semicircular patterns are added to the initial incisions to represent the moon. These scarifications were given to the representatives of theĀ ezeĀ Nri; theĀ mbùrĆchi.Ā The scarifications were the Nris' way of honoring the sun that they worshipped and was a form of ritual purification.