Tongo Player Trousers

This is a pair of drawstring trousers, made from strips of woven country cloth. They are thought to have been used by the Tongo Players, a name given to a group of professional witch finders who were called in to investigate and detect members of the Leopard Society, blamed for a series of murders in Imperri chiefdom in the early 1890s. All Tongo activity was later banned by the British Colonial Government. This pair of trousers was worn by the Jahu Wele , the chief dancer, who announced the proceedings and assembled the people. Jahu Wele comes from the Mende for water road , and was used here to denote the dancer's key role in assembling women who were out fetching water.

Further Information

• Type: Costume, dress
• Object: Tongo Player Trousers
• Materials: Textile
• Culture Group: Mende
• Dimensions: 730mm x 1330mm
• Production Date: Pre 1910
• Associated Places: Sierra Leone:Sherbro District (Created and collected)
• Associated People: L. Probyn (Donor); G. W. Page (Collector)
• Museum: World Museum Liverpool Sierra Leone Collection
• Accession Number: LIVCM.17.12.10.17

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