Gomesi Artifact

When we picture a cultural artifact or historic relic, we often picture something of great wealth or something that is buried in the past of the culture. While this is true to some extent, an artifact can be something as simple as clothing wear that may have something of relevance today in that culture. An example of a cultural artifact, would be the Busuuti/Gomesi, or Gomesi as it's popularly referred as. The Gomesi, was used especially during the early 20th century, after it was even conceived in Uganda. The dress, was considered a traditional and modest piece of clothing, that had its height of popularity for Baganda and Basoga citizens in Uganda (Traditional Ugandan Clothing). The Gomesi, is also considered appropriate/formal attire for females to wear during casual occasions, whether going out, or simply attending any sort of confrontation with other individuals (Nile River Connections). In addition to the Gomesi and its origins, The Gomesi first originated before even merchants had arrived. However, it truly sprouted in popularity, when an Indian merchant in 1905, modified the dress and adapted it as
One may ask, however, where the materials came from to make this traditional piece of clothing? The original design was processed through barkcloth. Bark cloth, was made by the grinding up of bark from trees, and softening it into a soft bendable material. This design was later abandoned when school uniforms were adopted in 1905, and instead, it was designed with more cotton/linen or silk materials (Traditional Uganda Clothing). The new materials that were used in the processing of Gomesi clothing, were seen as lighter and less expensive. This allowed for more equality of the purchasing of these clothes. The Nabagereka version of the Gomesi, is an example of a form that was created after Uganda imported cheaper raw materials like cotton/linen (The Arab