Chief's Wrapper (nogi)

Mangbetu peoples

Not on view

The art of the northern Savanna evokes the sumptuous royal courts of the Mangbetu peoples. During the second half of the nineteenth century, when this kingdom’s power was at its height, Mangbetu aristocrats begun surrounding themselves with a wide variety of finely crafted garments and utilitarian objects.
Bark-cloth fabrics were worn by men and women. Men’s garments, composed of five panels finely sewn together with raffia, take the shape of a fan when spread open. In this example, the strong graphic and balanced arrangement extends from a central dark panel to lighter lateral panels. When worn, the fabric was gathered around the body, passed between the legs and secured at the waist with a belt, creating a form of puffy trousers. Due to its scale and refinement, this wrapper undoubtedly belonged to a Mangbetu chief.

Chief's Wrapper (nogi), Bark of "Ficus roko" or "Urostigma kotschyana" joined with raffia stitching and stamped with natural dyes, Mangbetu peoples

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Chief's Wrapper (nogi), Bark of
Chief's Wrapper (nogi), Bark of
Chief's Wrapper (nogi), Bark of
Chief's Wrapper (nogi), Bark of
Chief's Wrapper (nogi), Bark of
Chief's Wrapper (nogi), Bark of
Chief's Wrapper (nogi), Bark of
Chief's Wrapper (nogi), Bark of
Chief's Wrapper (nogi), Bark of
Chief's Wrapper (nogi), Bark of

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.