{
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"tombstone": "Back Skirt / Sitting Pad (negbe), before 1929. Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mangbetu-style maker. Plant fibers and dye; overall: 24.1 x 30.5 x 7.6 cm (9 1/2 x 12 x 3 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the African Art Sponsors, 1929.355",
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"title": "Back Skirt / Sitting Pad (negbe)",
"creation_date": "before 1929",
"creation_date_earliest": 1900,
"creation_date_latest": 1929,
"artists_tags": [],
"culture": [
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],
"technique": "Plant fibers and dye",
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"department": "African Art",
"collection": "African Art",
"type": "Garment",
"measurements": "Overall: 24.1 x 30.5 x 7.6 cm (9 1/2 x 12 x 3 in.)",
"dimensions": {
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"height": 0.241,
"height_inch": 9,
"height_inch_fraction": 0.5,
"width": 0.305,
"width_inch": 12,
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{
"description": "Purchased by Paul Travis on behalf of the African Art Sponsors and the Gilpin Players in Ekibondo, Democratic Republic of the Congo (then-Belgian Congo)",
"citations": [],
"footnotes": null,
"date": "1928",
"sortorder": 1
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{
"description": "The African Art Sponsors (and the Gilpin Players?)",
"citations": [],
"footnotes": null,
"date": "1928",
"sortorder": 2
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"date": "1929\u2013",
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"did_you_know": "A contemporary fashion in 1929, when it was purchased or collected, this negbe is now a historical document of past styles.",
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"description": "Egbe (singular: negbe) were fashionable and practical garments aristocratic Mangbetu women made for special occasions. Worn over a skirt, it tied onto a girdle along with a frontal \u201capron.\u201d The curved interior piece rested on the lower back. Thickly woven, flexible natural fibers bent with the body, cushioning the wearer\u2019s behind when sitting. When the woman was standing, the decorated flat portion faced outward, showing off bold geometric motifs. Egbe were among items sold to foreigners at the Mangbetu king\u2019s encouragement as the Mangbetu actively constructed their self-image for outsiders during the 1920s and 1930s.",
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"updated_at": "2026-05-29 05:52:50.399000"
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