Wrapper (Seru Njaago)

Unknown

1970s · Cotton, synthetic yarns · Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

While several distinct cultural traditions from Senegal are known for their textiles creations, those woven for Manjaka communities remain the most sought after. They are an essential component of each important phase in the life of Senegalese women. Distinctive for their thick and stiff qualities, such textiles are conceived by their wearers as protective shields. They are commonly ornamented by motifs that recall the many external influences that impacted the Manjaka communities through trade, colonial history and displacements: Portuguese, Moroccan and Spanish. This textile's striking graphic composition draws upon a single popular motif, that of a comb.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1970s

Medium

Cotton, synthetic yarns

Culture

Manjaka peoples

Department

Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

Credit line

Purchase, The Fred and Rita Richman Foundation Gift, 2009