Screen (Inyeqamo)

Unknown

ca. 1940 · Fiber · Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

In Rwanda and neighboring Burundi, woven basketry receptacles and architectural elements constituted a major form of artistic expression. Historically privileged Tutsi women were the major practitioners of this regional tradition of "basketry tapestries." Known as "inyeqamo," such woven screens formerly enhanced the domestic interiors of wealthy Tutsi, where they were used as mural decorations and room dividers. This panel is divided into two vertical fields of black design on a natural golden brown background. The left side is filled with a triangular motif that is repeated in eight superimposed bands. The right side is a field of alternating rectangles that resembles a checkerboard. The juxtaposition of these two classic design schemes in a single panel enhances the liveliness of the composition.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1940

Medium

Fiber

Culture

Tutsi peoples

Department

Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

Credit line

Purchase, The Fred and Rita Richman Foundation Gift, 2007