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Source Description
Elite Nigerian men wore voluminous status garments variously called <em>riga</em> (Hausa), <em>agbádá</em> (Yorùbá), <em>boubou</em> (French), or <em>mbubb</em> (Wolof). Punctuated with white silk, this strip-woven riga’s inky blue was achieved by repeatedly dipping threads into indigo dye before weaving them. Embroiderers were often skilled Arabic calligraphers; the motifs here once had protective Islamic symbolism. The front pocket features the pointed “eight knives” (<em>aska takwas</em>) and a leaf (<em>gambiya</em>) associated with the Nupe peoples. At back, a spiral leads the wearer toward God. Magenta silk imported via trans-Saharan routes lines the hem. Rigan historically held transcultural appeal; today, they are pan-Nigerian male national dress.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
171144
label
Prestige robe (riga)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
171144
contentType
object
title
Prestige robe (riga)
description
Elite Nigerian men wore voluminous status garments variously called <em>riga</em> (Hausa), <em>agbádá</em> (Yorùbá), <em>boubou</em> (French), or <em>mbubb</em> (Wolof). Punctuated with white silk, this strip-woven riga’s inky blue was achieved by repeatedly dipping threads into indigo dye before weaving them. Embroiderers were often skilled Arabic calligraphers; the motifs here once had protective Islamic symbolism. The front pocket features the pointed “eight knives” (<em>aska takwas</em>) and a leaf (<em>gambiya</em>) associated with the Nupe peoples. At back, a spiral leads the wearer toward God. Magenta silk imported via trans-Saharan routes lines the hem. Rigan historically held transcultural appeal; today, they are pan-Nigerian male national dress.
date
late 1800s–by 1910
citation
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q80081025
genreSpecific
Garment
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 120 x 226 cm (47 1/4 x 89 in.)
cul
Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, probably Hausa-style or Nupe-style weavers and embroiders
accession
2013.6
Source extras
tec
Cotton, silk, and indigo
tombstone
Prestige robe (riga), late 1800s–by 1910. Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, probably Hausa-style or Nupe-style weavers and embroiders. Cotton, silk, and indigo; overall: 120 x 226 cm (47 1/4 x 89 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Alma Kroeger Fund, 2013.6
collection
African Art
didYouKnow
Its owner's movements would have revealed a flash of magenta silk (an expensive trade good) along the hem of this <em>riga</em>, emphasizing his high status.
citations
citation
Green, James, et al. <em>Bámigbóyè : A Master Sculptor of the Yorùbá Tradition</em>. Yale University Art Gallery, 2022.
page_number
p. 55-56.
citation
Picton, John, and John Mack. <em>African Textiles</em>. London: Published for the Trustees of the British Museum by British Museum Publications, 1989.
page_number
p. 192 illus
citation
Gillow, John. African Textiles: Colour and Creativity Across a Continent. London: Thames & Hudson, 2003.
page_number
p. 100-103
citation
Mackie, Louise W. “2013 Acquisitions: Textiles.” <em>Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine</em> 54, no. 2 (March/April 2014): 26-27.
page_number
Reproduced and Mentioned: p. 26
citation
Green, James. "Islamic Influence in the Work of Yorùbá Sculptor Bámigbóyè," <em>ÌMỌ̀ DÁRA</em>, October 16, 2022.
page_number
Reproduced.
creditline
Alma Kroeger Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:47:45.505000
sourceId
171144
dept
African Art
coll
African Art
med
Cotton, silk, and indigo
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
67ad7493877e4cdc