Woman's skirt c. 20th century

textile

dark object

dark clothe

glaze

textile

dark hue

grainy texture

dark composition

dark-toned

carved into stone

stoneware

dark

This 20th-century "Woman's skirt" by Dida is a stunning example of textile art. The piece is made of a dark fabric with a vibrant geometric pattern woven in a variety of shades of brown and yellow. The intricate details of the design, consisting of repeating circles and squares, create a unique and eye-catching visual effect. This skirt, now housed at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, showcases the artist's skill in creating a richly textured and visually captivating textile. The piece is likely to have been a significant part of the wearer’s cultural identity and a powerful symbol of craftsmanship and tradition.

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minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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The Dida of Côte d'Ivoire produce some of the most striking and unique textiles found in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using the unusual technique of oblique interlacing, Dida artisans painstakingly plait up to 1,500 strands of raffia into a long, narrow tubular form. When the garment is completed, it is embellished with intricate, bound and stitched-resist dye techniques in repeating patterns of rectangles, circles and elongated ovals. Because of the complexity of their production, these objects were very costly to acquire and were seen as indicators of wealth and status within Dida society. They were worn or displayed at ritual occasions such as marriages, natal celebrations or funerals of important people. Today, very few Dida continue to produce these textiles, and examples remaining in the culture are highly prized.