Backs in Fashion: Mangbetu Women’s Egbe
On show at the Dallas Museum of Art until 3 August 2025, Backs in Fashion: Mangbetu Women’s Ebge curated by Dr. Roslyn Walker, brings together a collection of objects that lie in the space between fashion, sculpture, textiles, and adornment. Worn as back aprons, these functional pieces of fashion called egbe are thoughtfully crafted, aesthetically driven works of art.
Image: Back Apron (Negbe), 1930s. Mangbetu peoples. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Banana leaves, plant fiber, and natural dye. Dallas Museum of Art, Textile Purchase Fund, 2021.10.1.3. Image above: Back Apron (Negbe), 1930s. Mangbetu peoples. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Banana leaves, plant fiber, and natural dye. Dallas Museum of Art, Textile Purchase Fund, 2021.10.1.1.
The northeastern region of the present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to the Mangbetu people. Known for rich craft traditions spanning ceramics, musical instruments, and metalwork, they also practised the art of head elongation, or ‘“ipombo,” and the elaborate hairstyles accompanying this tradition. After Belgium’s colonisation in 1908, this area soon became a stop along the tourist route of wealthy Belgians in the early 20th century. Developed by the Office National du Tourisme de Belgique, propaganda-style posters depicting the Mangbetu as “attractions” to see along the tourist route increased attention and visitors. According to Walker, as more Europeans came to see and interact with the group, the Mangbetu evolved their dress to provide more coverage against their prying eyes.
Egbe (negbe in singular), oval back aprons, evolved in response to tourism and visitors to the area. What was once a small disc at the base of the back became a large “plate” that could cover most of the back side of the wearer. Made and worn by the ruling classes of the Mangbetu, the art of making egbe was considered a specialised skill because the complexity of the technique was only mastered by a few.
Image: Back Apron (Negbe), 1930s. Mangbetu peoples. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Banana leaves, plant fiber, and natural dye. Dallas Museum of Art, Textile Purchase Fund, 2021.10.1.9.
Looking across the gallery space, one can see the multitude of ways each person used locally sourced natural materials to create a unique, compositionally complex egbe. Only a handful of materials and tools were needed to develop the range of work seen in the exhibition. Plantain or corn leaves were the basis of the oval/kidney-shaped pad. These leaves were pressed and dried; then, thick layers were stitched together and cut to a specific shape. For the design, leaves were dyed in iron-rich mud to achieve a deep black tone and then cut to the sizes and shapes required to create complex surface compositions.
To make the edging and other decorative surfaces, raffia was dried and twisted into two-ply cords or braided using a three-ply technique. The wearer stitched a crescent-shaped fibre “hood” to the back of the negbe for a comfortable fit. This connected to a thin belt that wrapped around the waist of the wearer, allowing the back apron to fit snuggly at the base of the back. As the wearer sat down, the negbe slid from under the backside to sit safely behind the individual.
Several key standouts from the exhibition employ a combination of patterned leaves, raffia cords, and stitching techniques as design elements on the surface. As with most craft-based work, none of the negbe in the exhibition can be attributed to an individual maker. We want to acknowledge this crucial missing information as we explore several pieces.
Image: Back Apron (Negbe), 1930s. Mangbetu peoples. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Banana leaves, plant fiber, and natural dye. Dallas Museum of Art, Textile Purchase Fund, 2021.10.1.11.
Three pieces housed together in a wall display exemplify the myriad possibilities available with so few raw materials. The oval shape of the pad is home to a significant variation of stitch, appliqué, and design-centric construction techniques. The individuality and creativity of the makers are on full display in this set. The piece to the far right allows the natural colour of the leaves to show in the large central oval. A multitude of stitches cover the surface, while the outer edges are a mix of black and natural toned raffia cords that become linear elements, activating the design. In the middle negbe, the maker creates organic, discontinuous shapes from the same raffia cords. They are the focal point at the top of the negbe, while the lower portion trails off into a fringe made of leaves. The final negbe of the set is a high contrast design made of beautifully cut, clay-dyed leaves. They cover the outer ring, carefully arranged in a radial pattern around the central oval. This exhibition hosts over 15 distinct designs, showing that the possibilities for design are as limitless as the imagination of each maker.
Image: Back Apron (Negbe), 1930s. Mangbetu peoples. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Banana leaves, plant fiber, and natural dye. Dallas Museum of Art, Textile Purchase Fund, 2021.10.1.5.
Egbe were worn for many occasions, including ceremonial dances. As seen in the group above, tassel-style egbe is another design iteration of this tradition and may have been created specifically for these occasions. In this design, the leaves are stitched at the top, leaving them to move freely, creating a gentle swishing sound when the wearer moves. Styles have changed over the decades, with different approaches to tassel thicknesses, lengths, and designs coming in and out of fashion.
Image: Back Apron (Negbe), 1930s. Mangbetu peoples. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Banana leaves, plant fiber, and natural dye. Dallas Museum of Art, Textile Purchase Fund, 2021.10.1.14.
These impressive works were made and worn through most of the 20th century. One of the last-known documentation of this tradition is from a 1980 photograph by Angela Fisher and Carol Beckwith. Unfortunately, little, if any, information about this incredible craft is known after this time. After seeing this exhibition for the first time, the question of whether these are textiles, adornment, fashion, or sculptural objects remains. The techniques reflect textile traditions while handling the materials and shapes of the forms that speak to sculpture. As fashion objects, they adorn the body, reflecting the taste and aesthetics of the wearer. What we can take away from this exhibition is that each negbe is a work of art on its own.
Guest edited by Lesli Robertson
Backs in Fashion: Mangbetu Women’s Ebge is on show at Dallas Museum of Art until 3 August 2024.
Find out more and plan your visit:
dma.org/art/exhibitions/backs-fashion-mangbetu-womens-egbe
The northeastern region of the present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to the Mangbetu people. Known for rich craft traditions spanning ceramics, musical instruments, and metalwork, they also practised the art of head elongation, or ‘“ipombo,” and the elaborate hairstyles accompanying this tradition. After Belgium’s colonisation in 1908, this area soon became a stop along the tourist route of wealthy Belgians in the early 20th century. Developed by the Office National du Tourisme de Belgique, propaganda-style posters depicting the Mangbetu as “attractions” to see along the tourist route increased attention and visitors. According to Walker, as more Europeans came to see and interact with the group, the Mangbetu evolved their dress to provide more coverage against their prying eyes.
Egbe (negbe in singular), oval back aprons, evolved in response to tourism and visitors to the area. What was once a small disc at the base of the back became a large “plate” that could cover most of the back side of the wearer. Made and worn by the ruling classes of the Mangbetu, the art of making egbe was considered a specialised skill because the complexity of the technique was only mastered by a few.
Looking across the gallery space, one can see the multitude of ways each person used locally sourced natural materials to create a unique, compositionally complex egbe. Only a handful of materials and tools were needed to develop the range of work seen in the exhibition. Plantain or corn leaves were the basis of the oval/kidney-shaped pad. These leaves were pressed and dried; then, thick layers were stitched together and cut to a specific shape. For the design, leaves were dyed in iron-rich mud to achieve a deep black tone and then cut to the sizes and shapes required to create complex surface compositions.
To make the edging and other decorative surfaces, raffia was dried and twisted into two-ply cords or braided using a three-ply technique. The wearer stitched a crescent-shaped fibre “hood” to the back of the negbe for a comfortable fit. This connected to a thin belt that wrapped around the waist of the wearer, allowing the back apron to fit snuggly at the base of the back. As the wearer sat down, the negbe slid from under the backside to sit safely behind the individual.
Several key standouts from the exhibition employ a combination of patterned leaves, raffia cords, and stitching techniques as design elements on the surface. As with most craft-based work, none of the negbe in the exhibition can be attributed to an individual maker. We want to acknowledge this crucial missing information as we explore several pieces.
Three pieces housed together in a wall display exemplify the myriad possibilities available with so few raw materials. The oval shape of the pad is home to a significant variation of stitch, appliqué, and design-centric construction techniques. The individuality and creativity of the makers are on full display in this set. The piece to the far right allows the natural colour of the leaves to show in the large central oval. A multitude of stitches cover the surface, while the outer edges are a mix of black and natural toned raffia cords that become linear elements, activating the design. In the middle negbe, the maker creates organic, discontinuous shapes from the same raffia cords. They are the focal point at the top of the negbe, while the lower portion trails off into a fringe made of leaves. The final negbe of the set is a high contrast design made of beautifully cut, clay-dyed leaves. They cover the outer ring, carefully arranged in a radial pattern around the central oval. This exhibition hosts over 15 distinct designs, showing that the possibilities for design are as limitless as the imagination of each maker.
Image: Back Apron (Negbe), 1930s. Mangbetu peoples. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Banana leaves, plant fiber, and natural dye. Dallas Museum of Art, Textile Purchase Fund, 2021.10.1.5.
Egbe were worn for many occasions, including ceremonial dances. As seen in the group above, tassel-style egbe is another design iteration of this tradition and may have been created specifically for these occasions. In this design, the leaves are stitched at the top, leaving them to move freely, creating a gentle swishing sound when the wearer moves. Styles have changed over the decades, with different approaches to tassel thicknesses, lengths, and designs coming in and out of fashion.
These impressive works were made and worn through most of the 20th century. One of the last-known documentation of this tradition is from a 1980 photograph by Angela Fisher and Carol Beckwith. Unfortunately, little, if any, information about this incredible craft is known after this time. After seeing this exhibition for the first time, the question of whether these are textiles, adornment, fashion, or sculptural objects remains. The techniques reflect textile traditions while handling the materials and shapes of the forms that speak to sculpture. As fashion objects, they adorn the body, reflecting the taste and aesthetics of the wearer. What we can take away from this exhibition is that each negbe is a work of art on its own.
Guest edited by Lesli Robertson
Backs in Fashion: Mangbetu Women’s Ebge is on show at Dallas Museum of Art until 3 August 2024.
Find out more and plan your visit:
dma.org/art/exhibitions/backs-fashion-mangbetu-womens-egbe