Clothing for the Ancestors: Global Textiles in Nigerian Egúngún Masquerade Costumes

Egúngún masquerade costumes swirl into motion during festivals honoring departed ancestors. Globally sourced, their layered fabric panels reflect local aesthetics and ritual practices. Often made from reused clothing, they also illuminate regional fashions and consumer tastes in imported fabric. Considering egúngún through a textile lens, this talk by Kristen Windmuller-Luna, curator of African art at the Cleveland Museum of Art, draws from fieldwork in Nigeria and extensive analysis of égungún in museum collections. Introduced by Julianna Ochs Dweck, chief curator at the Princeton University Art Museum.