Man's Prestige Cloth

Unknown

mid-20th century · Cotton · Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

Textile arts in Côte d’Ivoire reflect a rich blend of regional practices and cross-cultural exchange. Handwoven prestige men’s wrappers were worn on special occasions, including the reception of official visitors. Precise yet subtle weft patterning is enhanced by tie-dyeing the garment a rich indigo. While such cloths have come to be associated with Baule weaving and dyeing traditions, historians have established that Baule dyers adopted tie-dyeing during the 1950s and 1960s as a consequence of the Dyula presence in the Baule region. Among other formal characteristics borrowed from the Dyula is the thin red border defining the lower end of the cloth.

Artist

Unknown

Date

mid-20th century

Medium

Cotton

Culture

Baule peoples

Department

Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

Credit line

Gift of Jerome Vogel, 2013