Robe (Boubou Lomasa)
Late 19th century
Medium
Handspun cotton, indigo dye; polychrome silk and cotton; strip weave, hand embroidery
Dimensions
124.5 × 194.3 cm (49 × 76 1/2 in.)
Classification
garment
Department
Arts of Africa
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
248700
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This type of robe was worn by chiefs, dignitaries, emirs, and other high-ranking men in 19th-century West Africa. It marked the wearer’s standing and prestige, and also identified him as a Muslim. The talismanic motifs were typically designed and stitched by Qur’anic scholars who found inspiration in Arabic texts. Soninke women no longer practice these embroidery styles and indigo-dyeing techniques, which impacted the weaving traditions of a vast region north and south of the Sahara.