Producer unknown to us
War dress (Gboɣno)
Africa, Ghana, Kingdom of Dagbon 1896–99
Cotton, fur, leather, metal, bones, feathers; woven, knotted, forged, adorned
Valentin von Massow (commander of the colonial police force in ‘German Togoland’) probably looted the war garment during the battle against the Dagomba near Adibo, Ghana
Purchased by the museum from Adelheid von Kuylenstjerna (von Massow's mother) in 1899
MAf 854
For representatives of the Dagomba, this object is a particularly powerful Gboɣno – a war garment. These garments are worn in Dagbon, Ghana, during significant political occasions. A Gboɣno protects its wearer from harm. Its strength derives from Saba amulets, which skilled Islamic artisans sew onto the garment using intricate processes. Gboɣnos are still produced today.
Current research indicates that this Gboɣno was looted in 1896 during a military campaign by the German colonial army, led by Valentin von Massow, against the Dagbon Kingdom. The most significant battle between the Dagomba army and the colonial troops occurred on December 4 near the village Adibo. Hundreds of Dagomba lost their lives due to the colonizers' technologically superior weaponry. This war and its devastating consequences for the kingdom are still remembered in the cultural memory of the Dagomba.
Marlena Barnstorf-Brandes