Agbada

In Islamic societies all over West Africa, high-ranking officials wear voluminous robes with lavish embroidery. The volume of the garment creates an aesthetic of “bigness” that enhances both the physical presence and symbolic importance of the wearer. A malam, a male religious specialist with knowledge of Arabic writing, embroidered this robe by hand. The designs are drawn from an Islamic visual vocabulary referencing political leadership and are meant to offer protective powers. The spiral on the left is the tambari or “king’s drum, ” a motif signifying the office of chieftain and the spiritual path to God.