Man's cloth c. 1940

textile, cotton

loose pattern

textile

geometric pattern

abstract pattern

organic pattern

repetition of pattern

vertical pattern

intricate pattern

pattern repetition

cotton

layered pattern

combined pattern

This striking textile, titled "Man's cloth," is a testament to the artistry of Ewe weavers. Created around 1940, the piece showcases a complex geometric design of interlacing stripes in vibrant hues of orange, yellow, red, and blue. The intricate pattern, crafted through the traditional loom technique, demonstrates the skill and precision of the Ewe weavers and exemplifies the cultural significance of textiles within the Ewe community. This stunning piece is part of the Minneapolis Institute of Art's collection and serves as a poignant reminder of the rich history and tradition of African textile arts.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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Both Ewe and Asante weavers create unusual, dynamic cloths by alternating two or more stripe patterns. The Asante name for this style is Mmbam (mixed cloth); the Ewe refer to it as Sasa. The strips are often dramatically different from one another, but the pattern blocks usually share a similar color palette and design features which unify the disparate elements. The use of multiple stripe patterns reflects a conscious design choice and is not a way to use up odds and ends of leftover strips or to recycle older cloths. The use of two-color plied weft threads and figurative motifs identifies this particular piece as the creation of an Ewe weaver. In the lower right hand corner is an area patched with a third stripe pattern; this may be a repair to the garment or it may make up for a shortage of that particular stripe pattern. Almost every cloth in this installation has a patch or a miscalculation of some sort; these aberrations are not considered flaws nor do they diminish the value of the cloth.