Skirt, early 20th century
Unknown artist, Côte d'Ivoireexpand_more
Palm raffia cloth; oblique interlacing; resist tie-dyeexpand_more
Gift of Nobuko Kajitaniexpand_more 97.67.9
Not on Viewexpand_more
Raffia cloth is a very labor-intensive textile to produce, because of the lengthy process to prepare the fibers from raffia palm leaves. Dida garments are exceptional for their technique, which requires the interlacing of three sets of raffia threads. The threads are kept in tension by a loop of fiber held by the weaver's foot - no loom is used. This technique produces a tube-shaped cloth, which is adorned using a tie and dye technique.
The yellow and red colors are obtained from plant roots, and black is made from combining minerals and leaves. The crinkled texture is left unsmoothed, perhaps to complement the wearer's scarification. Among the Dida people, raffia cloth was associated with status, wealth, and power, whereas common people used to dress in beaten barkcloth.
Details
- Title
- Skirt
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 97.67.9
- Curator Approved
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