Back Skirt/Sitting Pad (negbe) (by 1928): Art, History and Details

Back Skirt/Sitting Pad (negbe) (by 1928) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

Egbe (singular: negbe) 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.

Object facts

• Title: Back Skirt/Sitting Pad (negbe)
• Date: by 1928
• Culture: Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mangbetu-style makers
• Type: Garment
• Technique: Plant fibers and dye
• Dimensions: Overall: 26 x 33.7 x 10.2 cm (10 1/4 x 13 1/4 x 4 in.)
• Collection: African Art
• Department: African Art
• Accession number: 1929.354

A detail from the museum

A contemporary fashion in 1929, when it was purchased or collected, this egbe is now a historical document of past styles.

Collection credit

Gift of the African Art Sponsors of Karamu House

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.