Minneapolis Institute of Art

Man's tunic (chaoli)

Senegal

Date

20th century

Medium

Cotton, needlework

Department

Arts of Global Africa

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

In Senegal, voluminous robes with lavish embroidery, called boubou, are associated with high-ranking officials in Islamic societies. The volume of the garment creates an aesthetic of bigness that enhances both the physical presence and symbolic importance of the wearer. Embroidery is traditionally done by hand by a malam, a male religious specialist with knowledge of Arabic writing. The designs are drawn from an Islamic visual vocabulary referencing political leadership, and they are meant to offer protective powers. These motifs include the tambari or king's drum, a spiral motif signifying chieftaincy and the spiritual path to God. Today, these garments continue to be prized and are worn by political and religious elite as an expression of respect for the traditions of the past. Africa

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