Man's robe (dandogo)

Elaborately embroidered and voluminous men's robes made of hand-woven strips of cotton are distributed widely throughout Cameroon and Nigeria. This type of robe derives from the Hausa dandogo or "riding robe," so called because of the vertical slitlike openings that allowed the wearer to hold the reins in his hands.(43) Embroidered with Islamic patterns, it was introduced to the area with the southerly spread of Islam from northern Nigeria in the nineteenth century.(44) While not all who encountered Islam converted to the religion, many people adopted the robe. In the southern areas where the environment could not support horses, the robe was modified to include pockets, as in the example shown in fig. 56.

Making this type of robe requires the skills of spinners, dyers, weavers, tailors, and embroiderers. It is intentionally large so the man wearing it appears larger than normal, thereby projecting an image of prosperity and power. Now designated the national dress of Nigerian men, it is worn on formal occasions, traditional ceremonies (such as weddings, baby-naming events, milestone birthdays), and funeral celebrations. The dandogo has also become a symbol of African identity and pride within Africa and the African diaspora.

Collected in a Hausa enclave in the Gandura region of Cameroon, the Dallas riding robe is similar to one from northern Nigeria in the Venice and Alastair Lamb Collection.(45) The wide sleeves of both are lined with red and white strip cloth, which in the Dallas cloth is made of cotton. The Dallas garment is distinguished by pinstriped strips that flank a dramatic red, white, and blue warp stripe (see detail, below). The blue and white "bleeding" effect is achieved by tying and dyeing the yarns before they were woven. This dyeing technique, known as ikat, has not been practiced by Hausa dyers since the 1970s.

The Arts of Africa at the Dallas Museum of Art, cat. 96, pp. 252-253.

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NOTES:

44. Clarke, Christa. Power Dressing: Men’s Fashion and Prestige in Africa. Newark: Newark Museum, 2005. pp. 8-12.

Bravmann, René A. African Islam. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution; London: Ethnographica, 1983. pp. 86-101.

45. Lamb, Venice, and Alastair Lamb. The Lamb Collection of West African Narrow-Strip Weaving. Edited by Patricia Fiske. Washington, D.C.: Textile Museum, 1975. p. 39.
The Lamb cloth is made from native Nigerian silk yarns obtained from the Anaphe infracta moth.