Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Source Description
<em>Egbe</em> (singular: <em>negbe</em>) were fashionable and practical garments aristocratic Mangbetu women made for special occasions. Worn over a skirt, it tied onto a girdle along with a frontal “apron.” The curved interior piece rested on the lower back. Thickly woven, flexible natural fibers bent with the body, cushioning the wearer’s behind when sitting. When the woman was standing, the decorated flat portion faced outward, showing off bold geometric motifs. Egbe were among items sold to foreigners at the Mangbetu king’s encouragement as the Mangbetu actively constructed their self-image for outsiders during the 1920s and 1930s.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
110831
label
Back Skirt / Sitting Pad (negbe)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
110831
contentType
object
title
Back Skirt / Sitting Pad (negbe)
description
<em>Egbe</em> (singular: <em>negbe</em>) were fashionable and practical garments aristocratic Mangbetu women made for special occasions. Worn over a skirt, it tied onto a girdle along with a frontal “apron.” The curved interior piece rested on the lower back. Thickly woven, flexible natural fibers bent with the body, cushioning the wearer’s behind when sitting. When the woman was standing, the decorated flat portion faced outward, showing off bold geometric motifs. Egbe were among items sold to foreigners at the Mangbetu king’s encouragement as the Mangbetu actively constructed their self-image for outsiders during the 1920s and 1930s.
date
before 1929
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q80002953
genreSpecific
Garment
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 24.1 x 30.5 x 7.6 cm (9 1/2 x 12 x 3 in.)
cul
Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mangbetu-style maker
accession
1929.355
Source extras
tec
Plant fibers and dye
tombstone
Back Skirt / Sitting Pad (negbe), before 1929. Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mangbetu-style maker. Plant fibers and dye; overall: 24.1 x 30.5 x 7.6 cm (9 1/2 x 12 x 3 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the African Art Sponsors, 1929.355
collection
African Art
didYouKnow
A contemporary fashion in 1929, when it was purchased or collected, this <em>negbe</em> is now a historical document of past styles.
creditline
Gift of the African Art Sponsors
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:52:50.399000
sourceId
110831
dept
African Art
coll
African Art
med
Plant fibers and dye
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
2e4fcac77b3ac94c