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Black cotton dyed gauze bands (possibly medical strips?) with hand embroidery. Neck opening shaped by middle band being cut to make opening. Chain stitched embroidery covering cloth in red, yellow, orange, white and green (colors faded). Thin cotton border in white all around garment.
Embroidered Tunic
Courtesy of the Harn Museum of Art, Photography by Randy Batista

Embroidered Tunic

Maker Wodaabe Artist
Datelate 20th century
Place of originNiger, Africa
MediumCotton
Dimensions54 1/2 x 13 1/2 in. (138.4 x 34.3 cm)
ClassificationsClothing and accessories
Credit LineMuseum purchase, funds provided by the Caroline Julier and James G. Richardson Acquisition Fund
Object number2009.32.17
Collections
Visual DescriptionBlack cotton dyed gauze bands (possibly medical strips?) with hand embroidery. Neck opening shaped by middle band being cut to make opening. Chain stitched embroidery covering cloth in red, yellow, orange, white and green (colors faded). Thin cotton border in white all around garment.
Tunic is black cotton damask (bazin) embroidered with multi-colored thread (red, blue, gold) in central diagonal parallel bands across front, embellished with alternating bands of beadworK (red, pink, green, white, yellow); Large bell sleeves, scoop neck. Skirt is same black dyed bazin as tunic, with a single stripe of embroidery in red, blue and gold thread. Red embroidered trim on neck and sleeves. Beaded headband has diamond pattern similar to those on tunic.
Woman's Tunic and Wrap Skirt
2010
Wall Covering (arkilla kereka)
Wall Covering (arkilla kereka)
Fulani Artist
20th century
Woman's sarong- rectangular strip hand sewn at ends to form tube; ikat-dyed cotton; main panel- red, brown and white geometric design of diamonds and teardrop shapes with curlicues everywhere; horizontal bands top and bottom of commercial red, green, blue, and yellow threat with ikat stripes between; Iban, Sarawak; 1963; just starting to go out of style as daily clothing and being reserved for fancy dress
Sarong
Iban Artist
1963
Blue handwoven cotton cloth, hand stitched, wide waist with narrow legs. Hand embroidery of geometric and arabesque motifs in orange, green, burgundy, and white wool thread; waistband lined with light blue commercial cotton sheeting.
Man's Ceremonial Trousers (wando)
Hausa Artist
20th century
Tunic with wide sleeves constructed from narrow handwoven strips, made of hand-spun cotton; alternating alizarin, dark blue and white stripes, indigo and white ikat stripes; tan thread used for 11 embroidered "knot" motifs on center of front; also embroidered on back, top; pale blue commercial cotton cloth lining.
Man's Tunic (dansiki or gbariye dandogo)
Nupe Artist
20th century
19 panels, all hand sewn. Medium wieght all cotton cloth with orange/gold rayon overshot yarn to fabricate the kola nut leaf motifs. Ten yarn colors were used, in addition to the overshot, with colored warps and wefts creating an additional secondary palette of colors.
Man's Cloth (adanudo)
Ewe Artist
1940s
Tunic with amulets attached to front and back; amulets are hide or leather with red cloth and other substances.
Hunter's Shirt with Amulets (batakari)
Akan Artist
20th Century
Woman's sarong- rectangular strip hand sewn at ends to form tube; ikat-dyed cotton; main panel- red, yellow, and black design of voided diamonds and teardrop linked with flecked diagonal lines, all with curliques; occasional diamond centers of grey (blue dye over yellow); border bands of commercial red, yellow, green, blue, and black thread with ikat stripes between
Sarong
Iban Artist
no date
Canvas made of cotton hand-woven strips sewn at selvedges, covered with pigment, paint, and cut-out sections of cloth; tertiary colors, muted gray and brown fields of color, soft edge "horizon line"
Traces
Viyé Diba
2007
Navy and gray stripe with overshot color bands, 22 strip-woven panels hand-sewn together. Warp and weft threads dyes in 10 colors.
Man's Cloth (adanudo)
Ewe Artist
20th century
Black-and-white print of two faces with raised, expressive hands. Below the drawing, red text reads "FOR THE YEAR OF THE INSANE", followed by two columns of the poem by Anne Sexton: O Mary, fragile mother, hear me, hear me now although I do not know your words. The black rosary with its silver Christ lies unblessed in my hand for I am the unbeliever. Each bead is round and hard between my fingers, a small black angel. O Mary, permit me this grace, this crossing over, although I am ugly, submer…
For the Year of the Insane
Barbara Swan
1967
"Tajira", blue dyed wool with tie-dyed circles in red/orange/yellow mainly along the bottom. Lower edge fringe (long) is twisted and tufted and dyed in above-mentioned colors; the upper edge fringe (short) at the corners is made of small tufts in pink, blue, turquoise, and orange. The lower border is adorned with bands of geometric motifs such as "snake with eyes" and knucklebone" in white (cotton) and black (wool); the upper border is adorned in the corners with embroidered motifs of abstracted…
Woman's Head Covering (tajira)
Amazigh Artist
late 20th century

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