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Detailed with intricate machine embroidery, the garments are typical of the style worn in the area of Nigeria where the Ashamu family lived.

Chief Ashamu’s Ceremonial Robes

A collection of ceremonial robes and other apparel worn by Chief Emmanuel O. Ashamu of Nigeria now resides at the Brown dance studio that bears his name.
By Deborah Baum  |  February 17, 2009  |  Email to a friend

Born in western Nigeria, Chief Emmanuel O. Ashamu was the son of a Yoruba tribal chief. After graduating from pharmacy school in 1951, he rose to become one of most prominent businessmen in Africa, with interests in agriculture, banking, transportation and real estate.  A devout Christian, Ashamu was the patriarch of a large extended family and known as a revered leader in his community.

His son, Samson Ashamu, attended Brown, graduating in 1979 with a B.A. in economics. That same year, the Chief and Mrs. E. O. Ashamu donated the funds to build Ashamu Dance Studio in the building formerly occupied by the Colgate Hoyt Pool. The studio, along with the Isabelle Russek Leeds Theatre, was dedicated on April 21, 1979, with a ceremony, followed by a weeklong festival of performances, workshops, and recitals. The dedication plaque outside the Ashamu Dance Studio reads, “In loving and affectionate memory of our beloved mother and grandmother, Madam Adeoti Ashamu….” The Ashamu Dance Studio: The Ashamu Dance Studio

The Ashamu family’s commitment to Brown continued over the years. Throughout the 1980s, Samson and his wife Leslie donated Egungun costumes, ceremonial robes, and accompanying dress-related materials to Brown’s Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology. Two of the pieces were included in the museum’s extraordinary international textiles exhibit, “Warp Speeds,” in 2004. Samson Ashamu died on July 20, 1995.

Following Emmanuel Ashamu’s death in 1992, several pieces of fabric and ceremonial clothing were left in the possession of a personal family friend. Just last year, the items were given to Brown’s Department of Theatre, Speech and Dance for preservation.

The collection consists of eight pieces of fabric yardage, two hats with hand stitching, and a 4-piece ensemble of t-shaped tops, drawstring pants, and a caftan. Embroidered in hues of blues and greens and browns, the ceremonial robes are typical of the style worn in the area of Nigeria where the Ashamu family lived. The caftan, with its traditional off-center yoke, is characteristic of the Yoruban styles. Intricate hand-embroidered details ornament the yoke. Chief Ashamu’s items are currently being stored in the Costume Shop, in the building next door to the dance studio that bears the family name.