Ceremonial skirt 1940 - 1960

This ceremonial skirt, of unknown date and maker, uses dye and cotton and is now housed at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. What strikes you first is the arrangement of vertical lines, varying between purple, red, black and white. If we consider semiotics, the skirt acts as a sign. Here, the vertical emphasis might relate to the wearer’s stature or the formality of the occasion, while the striped and chevron patterns at the top and bottom act as markers delineating the boundaries of the central plane. The skirt embodies order and structure but the colours disrupt any strict reading of the piece. In this way, the piece becomes an example of post-structuralist art. The lack of fixed meaning suggests that the ceremonial skirt functions not just aesthetically but also as a part of a larger cultural and philosophical discourse. As such, it invites ongoing interpretation and reinterpretation.