R6038/1 Robe

a shiny dark blue man's robe

This Hausa indigo robe has been dyed with a concentrated indigo dye to give it a deep, dark blue colour and a glazed sheen. It was originally collected as a new, unworn piece in the 1970s from Northern Nigeria. The dye is so concentrated that it can still rub off on contact with other material. This is seen as a sign of high quality. Collected as part of the Fashioning Africa project.

Creator: unknown

Place: Nigeria, West Africa, Africa

Date: c. 1970