Daily African Textile

 

 

  Shawl , 2009 Handwoven golden orb ( Nephila madagascariensis ) filaments, handwoven in Madagascar On loan from Simon Peers and Nicholas Godley Introduction The Art and Design of Spider Silk September 27, 2019 - April 19, 2020 Since ancient times, fiber production and weaving have been associated with spiders and their silken webs, long enchanting artists around the world. Spider silk is a unique and extremely rare material: its tensile strength, heat conductivity, fineness, and elasticity remain unmatched, and its natural golden color is lustrous and astonishing. Artists and designers have recently been joined by a host of engineers looking to reimagine new applications for this biodegradable and immensely sustainable material. For many researchers, the ultimate goal of replicating spider silk is to wean consumers off petrochemical-based fabrics such as nylon and spandex. This exhibition highlights recent low-tech and cutting-edge examples in the evolving artistry and biotechnolo...

 

A fly swatter may seem like an everyday symbol, but actually it symbolises power and prestige. Why? These are the brooms used to swat away the mosquitoes and other flies from the kings and traditional chiefs of the Akan people who live across the Ivory Coast and Ghana. Once wielding great economic power selling gold and ivory to the British and other countries, today these kings and chiefs are more symbolic. Designed in 1950, the pattern is set in big squares à la Adinkra, Adire and other African handmade textiles and has a decorative background to prevent any cracks caused by the batik process being seen. https://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/eight-stories-behind-traditional-african-wax-prints  https://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/eight-stories-behind-traditional-african-wax-prints

 

  Name of pattern "Sword of Kingship"; image of 1896 Af 0519.4. ‘The technique of wax-printing is inspired by the Indonesian art of batik. Both methods use was a dyed to form designs on cotton cloth. Batik was probably brought to the Gold Coast (now Ghana) in the mid-1800s by soldiers serving in the Dutch Army in Java. In 1893, an enterprising Scottish trader, Ebenezer Brown Fleming, began importing wax-printed cloth   from the Netherlands to the Gold Coast. The product became very popular and spread throughout west and central Africa. Wax prints were produced across Europe and exported to Africa, with African Customers driving the trade. Since the 1960s factories have been established in Ghana and other African countries from Senegal to the Congo. Today, all of the European factories have closed down, except Vlisco in the Netherlands. The Manchester-based factory ABC (Arthur Brunnschweiler and Company) transferred its UK production recently to a sister company in Ghana. Howe...

  People wear this print to show that they went to school and can read and write. They also attach importance to the education of their children and save to be able to finance their schooling. Les gens portent cet imprimé pour montrer qu’ils sont allés à l’école et savent lire et écrire. Ils attachent également de l’importance à l’instruction de leurs enfants et économisent pour pouvoir financer leur scolarité. https://www.vlisco.com/fr/lunivers-vlisco/design/histoires-des-tissus/

In May 1940, a Portuguese trader named Nogueira traveled to Helmond, the Netherlands, to order a personalized Dutch Wax. He had imagined a motif of six candles signifying that the wearer of the fabric owned a six-cylinder car, a true sign of wealth. Vlisco had to cease production during World War II, but still carried out numerous tests to manufacture Six Candles. After the war, this batch of fabrics was the first to be shipped to a Congolese market in dire straits where it was an immediate success. Over the years, the design has acquired another popular meaning: with the woman depicted in the center being considered strong enough to take on six men.   En mai 1940, un commerçant portugais du nom de Nogueira s’est rendu à Helmond, aux Pays-Bas, pour commander un Wax Hollandais personnalisé. Il avait imaginé un motif réunissant six bougies signifiant que celui qui portait le tissu possédait une voiture à six cylindres, véritable signe de richesse. Vlisco a dû interrompre sa prod...