Return to gallery

Agbada Gallery Page One

CODE #:AGB080

PRICE: Email us for price

MEASURES: 74 ins  x 49 ins, 190cms x 125cms.

A remarkable and extremely rare C19th  agbada robe tailored primarily from very lightweight cloth woven from magenta silk "alaari" from the trans-Saharan caravan trade. The body of the robe is lined throughout with thick white hand spun cotton cloth strips.  The green hand embroidery is in the classic "eight knives" pattern. This robe can be compared with a very similar example in the British Museum, London, that was part of the important Beving Collection accessioned in 1934 but collected in the C19th. This robe can be seen under the "Search the collections" link on the British Museum websiterg/ by entering the reference  Af1934,0307.214 .  The significance of the Beving Collection is discussed in the recent Metropolitan Museum catalogue "The Essential Art of African Textiles." 

If you would like to order this robe please note the code number and click the link below to go to the Order Information page. We're sure you will love this cloth but remember we guarantee a full refund on any order returned.

(c) Duncan Clarke, Version 5/28/2009