cloth;
garment
- Museum number
- 2018,2036.43
- Description
-
Cloth (aso-oke); wrap-around garment. Composed of sixteen narrow strips, hand sewn together. Alternating strips of dark indigo-dyed and white cotton stripes; and dark indigo-dyed and light indigo-dyed on white ikat cotton stripes. Single line of multicoloured hand embroidery at both ends. Loose twisted fringes at both ends.
- Production date
- 1930-1940 (circa)
- Dimensions
-
Length: 247 centimetres
-
Width: 185 centimetres
- Curator's comments
-
The very large size of this cloth in both dimensions, plus the tasseled ends, show that it was intended to be used by men and worn in a toga-like fashion. The woven lines across the ends of each strip were perhaps intended to prevent the warp threads unravelling over time. They are however reminiscent of the lines characteristic of cloths woven in the Ivory Coast, and it is possible that this cloth was intended to be exported there.
-
Both male and female Yoruba weavers use the ikat technique in their cloths. Warp threads are tie- dyed before weaving to give characteristic fluctuating light and dark colours.
- Location
- Not on display
- Condition
- Good.
- Acquisition date
- 28 Nov 2018
- Acquisition notes
- Purchased by the donor in May 2009 from African textile dealer/collector Duncan Clarke, London.
- Department
- Africa, Oceania and the Americas
- Registration number
- 2018,2036.43
- Additional IDs
-
Previous owner/ex-collection number: I.A48 (Griffiths-Rudoe collection number)