Robe worn by an unidentified member of the Ku Klux Klan

Object Details

Description: A Ku Klux Klan robe worn by a member of an undetermined rank. The calf-length robe is made from cotton and has full-length sleeves that are slightly flared near the cuff. Four white, plastic buttons are on the button band at the center front. Sewn over the left breast is a machine embroidered patch with an ivory satin cross outlined in black against a red satin background with a “blood drop,” embroidered in red, oriented vertically in the center of the cross. The black lines on the patch form a cross with a black diamond in the middle of the cross. The design is typically referred to as the "Mystic Insignia of a Klansman" (MIOAK). The robe has an attached circular half cape.
Statement: Objects depicting symbols of hate or related to organized hate groups may be offensive and disturbing, but the NMAAHC aims to include them in the Collection to present and preserve the historical context in which they were created and used. Objects of this type provide an important historical record from which to study and evaluate history and culture.

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Anonymous Gift

Restrictions & Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions; Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification: Clothing - Fashion and Historical

Topic: African American; Associations and institutions; Clothing and dress; Fraternal organizations; U.S. History, 1919-1933; U.S. History, 1933-1945; White supremacy movements