19 strips of purple woven cotton fabric with white stripe on one side; strips decorated with woven designs of stripes and blocks with geometric designs and birds

Man's cloth, early 20th century

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Ewe weavers are allowed total freedom in the design of their cloths. Unconstrained by traditional patterns or color schemes, these weavers freely invent designs that are limited only by their imagination and technical skills.

A distinguishing feature of Ewe cloth is the use of figurative motifs interspersed between blocks of colorful stripes. This cloth is particularly rich in imagery; birds, animals, human figures, and everyday objects alternate with geometric and abstract motifs. One unusual image is singled out for special treatment: a long white scepter shape is woven in one of the plain indigo sections near the center of the cloth. This figure may represent a ceremonial staff such as would be carried by a chief or his advisors.

Details
Title
Man's cloth
Role
Artist
Accession Number
99.196
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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19 strips of purple woven cotton fabric with white stripe on one side; strips decorated with woven designs of stripes and blocks with geometric designs and birds