Tilbi Gown

A Malian tilbi gown made from unbleached English calico with a crotchet design. The shoulders, front, and back panels have been embroidered in geometric designs outlined with light blue openwork embroidery. There is a large pocket over the chest. Tilbi gowns of this sort were worn by elites in the Niger trading towns of Djenne and Timbuktu, in what is now Mali. This one, collected by Alldridge, is of the earliest documented examples found in Sierra Leone.

Further Information

• Type: Costume, dress, Regalia
• Object: Tilbi Gown
• Materials: Textile
• Culture Group: Mende
• Dimensions: 1220mm [W] x 1610mm [L]
• Production Date: Pre 1899
• Associated Places: Mali
• Associated People: Thomas Joshua Alldridge (Collector)
• Museum: Brighton Museum and Art Gallery
• Accession Number: BMAG:WA507374

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