Man’s Three-Piece Prestige Ensemble (agbada or dandogo)

Artist Hausa or Yorùbá tailor

Datebefore 1955

MediumHandspun cotton threads and machine-loomed cotton

DimensionsRobe: 53 x 116 in. (134.6 x 294.6 cm)
Pants: 35 x 40 in. (88.9 x 101.6 cm)
Hat: (27.9 x 35.6 cm)

ClassificationsTextiles

Credit LineGift of Mary Hester Powell in memory of her parents, Reverend and Mrs. J. Carlyle Powell

Object number2001.10/1-3

On View

Not on view

Label TextThe dense embroidery around the head opening of the robe, or agbada, features circles and geometric patterns derived from Islamic iconography. This type of robe was adapted after the northern Fulani Empire conquered the Oyo Yoruba Empire during the early nineteenth century. Worn at major celebrations and official functions, it signals the wealth and status of the wearer.

It could have been worn by a man attending his family’s egúngún celebration, and men in these tunics may accompany masqueraders as well—in a prestigious entourage. Given that egúngún masquerade ensembles often incorporate pieces of agbada tunics in their sumptuous fabrics, it makes a fitting complement to the NCMA's collection of egúngún ensembles that use rich textiles to honor ancestors.ProvenanceRev. Julius Carlyle Powell and Mrs. Rosa Powell, 1955; inherited by Mary Hester Powell, Greenville, NC; given to NCMA 2001.Published ReferencesMary Ellen Soles, "Accent on Africa: Recent Acquisitions of African Art," Preview: The Magazine of the North Carolina Museum of Art (March/April 2003), mentioned 9.
Exhibition HistoryRaleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, "Accent on Africa: Recent Acquisitions of African Art," April 6-August 10, 2003, brochure no. 4, robe illus. (b-w).

Raleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, "The People's Collection, Reimagined," October 7, 2022–December 9, 2024. Object Rights Statement

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