Mangbetu, womens ornament Negbe
28 x 20 cm
This back apron was built up of intricately layered banana leaves. Worn on special occasions, Negbe were affixed to the lower back by a girdle.
The effect was in fact not so much meant to cover the women’s buttocks but rather to echo elegantly the shape of the distinctive Mangbetu halo-shaped hairdo, an elaborate conical construction that expended at the back of the head.
Old Dutch collection
€ 450