Object Number: T/GAMB/122

Collection: British Empire & Commonwealth

Object Name: Clothing

Description: This is a man’s gown from Gambia. The vast size of this gown makes it a riga giwa (gown of the elephant). The riga giwa is a tailored gown made by Hausa people, derived from Tuareg Saharan riding dress, which spread through Nigeria and all of West Africa. The spread of this dress occurred as part of the spread of Islam throughout West Africa, but has now become a version of national dress, meaning not everyone who wears it is necessarily Muslim. It is made of very dark indigo-dyed cotton made up from 105mm woven strips - the strips are handsewn horizontally on both sleeves but vertically on the centrepiece of the gown. The robe is in two pieces seamed at the shoulder. The sleeves fall to the hem and are completely open, the back and front are attached at the hem only by a knot. There is a large pocket on the right-hand side of the collar on the font of the garment, and some handsewn decorative stitching on the front of the collar. This decoration is an exaggeration of the collar and tapers to a point c. 4in below the neckline. Decoration stems from the structural elements of the gown. The lack of decoration suggests that it is not of high prestige value.