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1969 |
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2013 |
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Kente Prestige Cloth (Ghana)
This is a Kente prestige cloth. It is dated early to mid-20th century and we acquired it in 1969. Its medium is viscose rayon and its technique is hand-loomed plain weave with discontintuous supplementary weft patterning. It is a part of the Textiles department.
The Asante strip-woven cloths commonly known as kente are among the most iconic and prestigious African textiles. The Asante have a powerful ruling court, and a large community of artisans work in the village of Bonwire in the service of the royals to produce the stunning visual displays expected for court occasions.
The complex interplay of designs is the result of alternating three different patterning systems: a balanced-weave check, weft-faced stripes, and supplementary weft zigzags. Because the cloth is woven in a single continuous strip, which is then cut into identical lengths, a checkerboard design like this one requires the weaver to carefully measure each pattern block while weaving to ensure that they align correctly when sewn together. The pattern is called susudua, for the measuring stick he uses.[1]
[1] Malika Kraamer, “Ghanaian Interweaving in the Nineteenth Century: A New Perspective on Ewe and Asante Textile History,” African Arts 39, no. 4 (Winter 2006): 51.
This object was featured in our Object of the Week series in a post titled Juneteenth (Emancipation Day).
This object was
donated by
Mrs. Calvin W. Stillman.
It is credited Gift of Mrs Calvin W. Stillman.
- Drawing, Napkin Design for La Fonda del Sol Restaurant
- brush and watercolor, cut paper on blueprint on white wove paper.
- Gift of Alexander H. Girard.
- 1969-165-330
- Textile, Feldlerche
- silk.
- Museum purchase from General Acquisitions Endowment Fund.
- 2005-8-40
- Mantle (Peru)
- warp: cotton; weft: silk, metallic (silver strips wrapped around linen core).
- Gift of John Pierpont Morgan.
- 1902-1-782
Our curators have highlighted 7 objects that are related to this one. Here are three of them, selected at random:
- Textile, Independence Day
- cotton.
- Gift of Paula Habig.
- 1958-73-1
- Textile, Ghana Independence Day
- cotton.
- Bequest of M. Clark Robertson.
- 1992-189-1
- Textile (Sudan)
- wool.
- Museum purchase through gift of Robert L. Hargous.
- 1944-87-2
Its dimensions are
H x W: 328.9 x 217.2 cm (129 1/2 x 85 1/2 in.)
Cite this object as
Kente Prestige Cloth (Ghana); viscose rayon; H x W: 328.9 x 217.2 cm (129 1/2 x 85 1/2 in.) ; Gift of Mrs Calvin W. Stillman; 1969-11-1
This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition David Adjaye Selects: Works from the Permanent Collection.
