Fabric of a Nation:
Textiles and identity in modern Ghana

Wax printed cloth "Weni behu naaso w'ano enntumin nnka" (Your eyes can see, but your mouth cannot say). Printed in Ghana, 2006

Fabric of a Nation focuses on the role of printed cloths and their designs as an expression of cultural, social and political identity in modern Ghana, cutting across ethnic and language differences.

This display was first shown at the British Museum in 2007 to mark the 50th anniversary of Ghana’s independence from Britain (6 March 1957), attracting more than 55,000 visitors. The exhibition was produced in partnership with the Department of Archaeology (now the Department of Cultural and Heritage Studies) of the University of Ghana at Legon as part of the British Museum’s ongoing ‘Africa Programme’.

Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead
28 June -2 November 2008

Cartwright Hall, Bradford
13 December – 15 February 2009

Westbury Manor Museum, Fareham
28 February – 25 April 2009

Eastleigh Museum, Hampshire
2 May – 27 June 2009

Wardown Park Museum, Luton
8 August – 8 November 2009

Horniman Museum, London
28 November 2009 – 28 February 2010

Image: Wax printed cloth "Weni behu naaso w'ano enntumin nnka" (Your eyes can see, but your mouth cannot say). Printed in Ghana, 2006.

A British Museum Tour
Supported through the generosity of the Dorset Foundation

Highlights

Browse or search over 4,000 highlights from the Museum collection

Shop Online

Egyptian cat with earrings  , £95.00

Egyptian cat with earrings , £95.00