H x W x D: 24.1 x 14 x 14 cm (9 1/2 x 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 in.)
Type:
Textile and Fiber Arts
Geography:
Nigeria
Date:
ca. 1956
Label Text:
This outfit of a hunter's tunic, narrow pants and tall, folding hat is for a boy. It copies the style of a man's outfit, but lacks the more expensive outer robe. Typically worn by a boy from an important family, these garments may have been given to a foreigner as a gift. Garments of such high status and quality are traditionally given as a gift when the gift giver wants to show how important he and the recipient are.
Part of the status comes from the extra work involved - it is made of narrow strips woven by men. The reddish strips are in a technique known as aso oke, that deliberately created holes as part of the weaving process.
Description:
Tall cylindrical cap made from strips of cloth, indigo/white stripe and reddish asoke with supplementary wefts in green and blue.
Provenance:
Chief Adebaye Mojebodunmi, Lagos, Nigeria, -- to 1956
Stephen Belcher, received as a gift from Chief Adebaye Mojebodunmi, Lagos, Nigeria, 1956 to 1973
Exhibition History:
BIG/small, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., January 17-July 23, 2006
Content Statement:
As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
Image Requests:
High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
