Description
Beautiful and extremely rare nineteenth century alaari silk Yoruba agbada chief’s robe from Nigeria. The warp of the asooke cloth strips that make up this robe is hand spun silk alaari bought to Nigeria across the Sahara by camel caravan from North Africa, while the weft and the stripes are mill spun cotton obtained from colonial traders in the south. Both of these fibres were highly expensive at that date marking this robe out as a prestigious, luxury garment for a wealthy chief. Green embroidery was often combined with the vibrant ‘red’ of the silk, and here obtained by dyeing thread with indigo and then yellow. Some of the yellow on the embroidery is fugitive revealing the underlying pale blue, otherwise this lightweight robe is very good condition and is a rare survivor that was doubtless a much prized family heirloom over several generations.
Measurements: 7′ 10″ x 4′ , 240 cm x 122 cm.
All items on this site are vintage. That means that they may have a few small marks or blemishes consistent with use. We will try to highlight any significant issues in the description above but in the event you are not happy with your purchase please notify us within 48 hours of receipt and you may return it for a full refund (excluding return shipping costs.)
