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1999.28.1

Ceremonial Loin cloth made of stitched strips of yellowish and blackish [or possibly faded dark blue] cotton textile. The loin cloth is roughly triagular in shape. At the longest side of the triangle there are two ties of the yellowish cotton textile stitched at to the triangle at both ends of the longest side. Two sides of the triangle are edged with a coloured wool fringe. The fringe is predominantly blue, green, orange and bright pink in colour. Towards the pointed end of the triangle the textile has been embroidered in a geometric pattern. [MdeA 25/11/99]

1999.28.1

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Collection type
Object
Description
Ceremonial Loin cloth made of stitched strips of yellowish and blackish [or possibly faded dark blue] cotton textile. The loin cloth is roughly triagular in shape. At the longest side of the triangle there are two ties of the yellowish cotton textile stitched at to the triangle at both ends of the longest side. Two sides of the triangle are edged with a coloured wool fringe. The fringe is predominantly blue, green, orange and bright pink in colour. Towards the pointed end of the triangle the textile has been embroidered in a geometric pattern. [MdeA 25/11/99]
Geographical reference
Nigeria
Africa > Western Africa > Nigeria
Numan Division
Cultural groups
Bacama
Date / Period
Date made: Circa 1953
Date collected
Circa 1953.
Acquisition information
Donated: 27/09/1999
Materials and processes
Material Cotton Seed Fibre Textile Plant, Material Wool Yarn Animal, Material Cotton Seed Fibre Yarn Plant, Process Stitched, Process Embroidered, Process Woven
Object numbers
Accession number: 1999.28.1
Research and responses

The donor illustrated loin cloths like this one in A. H. M. Kirk-Greene, 'Festival at Farei' Nigeria 45, 1954, pp.60 - 74. He writes about the loin cloths : 'The brilliance of the scene was enhanced by the Mbula youths, resplendent in their customary Farei dress and quite striking in their huge stature and intriguing variety of "gizo" matted hair-styles. ... Around their loins they wore the magnificently coloured triangular cloths, mostly dark blue or green, garlanded with woollen fringes and festooned with bright, canary-yellow streamers.' [MdeA 25/11/99]

Search terms: Clothing, Ritual and Ceremonial, Groin-cover, Ceremonial Object

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