Skirt
Skirt

On view

Temporary Exhibitions
Princeton Collects

Skirt,

20th century

Artist unrecorded
Ngala
2022-200
Dyed skirts with carefully twisted fibers are thought to have been worn by women on special occasions, including initiations, weddings, and funerals. However, detailed information regarding women’s clothing in the area is scant. Available information suggests that daily wear consisted of plain untwisted raffia fiber skirts and that women of higher status wore multiple layers of skirts. This skirt’s distinctive pattern was made with a form of resist dyeing, where selectively bound and twisted fibers were dipped into a dye vat.

Information

Title
Skirt
Dates

20th century

Maker
Artist unrecorded
Medium
Raffia palm fiber and natural dyes
Dimensions
41.9 × 71.1 cm (16 1/2 × 28 in.)
Credit Line
Gift from the Holly and David Ross Collection
Object Number
2022-200
Place Made

Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Culture
African, Ngala (Ngiri)
Type
skirts, textiles
Materials
raffia, dye
Subject
geometric patterns, marriage

Bren Heymans, Antwerp, Belgium; [Marcusson & Hall, Brussels, Belgium]; purchased by Holly and David Ross, Princeton, NJ, February 2019; donated to the Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton, NJ, 2022.

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The Museum regularly researches its objects and their collecting histories, updating its records to reflect new information. We also strive to catalogue works of art using language that is consistent with how people, subjects, artists, and cultures describe themselves. As this effort is ongoing, the Museum’s records may be incomplete or contain terms that are no longer acceptable. We welcome your feedback, questions, and additional information that you feel may be useful to us. Email us at collectionsinfo@princeton.edu.

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