Skip to main content
Advanced Search
Cloth (kanga)
Cloth (kanga)
Courtesy of the Harn Museum of Art, Photography by Foad Seyed Mohammadi

Cloth (kanga)

Maker Textile Mills Tnz. Ltd.
Date2010
PurchasedDar es Salaam, Tanzania, Africa
Place of originTanzania, Africa
MediumCommercially printed cotton cloth
Dimensions40 in. x 10 ft. 4 in. (101.6 x 315 cm)
ClassificationsTextiles
Credit LineGift of James and MacKenzie Ryan
Object number2012.38.5
Collections
Visual DescriptionRed field with black abstract pattern
Flower motif in yellow with purple and black on white field. Swahili inscription reads: "Mungu hana likizo" (God doesn't take holidays)
Cloth (kanga)
Urafiki Tanzania
2010
Red and white and black paisleu (cashew) pattern, with center medallion; Swahili inscription reads: "Mungu atupe furaha daima" (God (should) give us happiness always)
Cloth (kanga)
Lesso
2010
Peacock with feathers and floral border; yellow, bright blue and yellow on white field; Swahili inscription reads: "Neno la mungu ni la milele" (Words of God are eternal).
Cloth (kanga)
Urafiki Tanzania
2010
Yellow, dark green and black with dots; Mosque motif. Printed Swahili inscription on cloth, Yote yatenndawayo namkabidhi Mola" - all who are well-treated are entrusted to God" or alternately, [literal] "all that is acted upon / happens to me is entrusted to God"
Cloth (kanga)
Urafiki Tanzania
2010
A long sleeve caftan/dress sewn from strips of wax print fabric likely Chinese imports and Woodin (a company that locally produces fabric in Ghana). The bodice of the caftan features horizontal strips, whereas the skirt of the dress relies on vertical strips. Each strip is formed from a mixture of long strips of fabric, interspersed with small squares of fabric. The caftan includes a designer label, which states: “Cloth on cloth designs by Tei Huagie, made in Ghana”.
"Cloth on Cloth" Caftan
Tei Mensah Huagie
2000
Two lengths of cloth with white field with small black pattern of stars and central medallion of hand wearing wristeatch holding wrapped gift; border has red rosses and small medallions of green and red palm trees; insciption reads "Pokea Zawadi Ingawa Hafifu" [google translation: received the gift although weak]; side border inscription reads "Haharia-Zanzibar D. no. 1727."
Wrapper (kanga)
Tanzanian Artist
2009
Red handwoven cloth with polychrome floating weft motifs, geometric patterns; fringed.
Wedding cloth
Nupe Artist
c. 1973
Coarse hand-woven strips, stitch-resist dyed with indigo, hand-sewn at selvedges, hem of red and black factory cloth with orange rickrack edging, machine stitched in woven cloth.
Prestige cloth (ndop, ktiesia or ntieya)
Bamileke Artist
20th century
Dark blue cloth with lighter blue hand-painted motifs in grid pattern; various motifs including stool (center), or Olokun
Cloth with Olokun, Goddess of the Sea Motif (adire eleko)
Yoruba Artist
c. 1973
A vertical red and blue textile showing a storm. An eye overlooks lightning striking houses. Below, wind bends palm trees in front of a large building with a clock tower. A banner under the eye reads "Accra 22nd June 1939." " Along the left and right "Asase Wosow!! Nyonmo Hewale Tsii Onyame Tumi So"
Cloth Commemorating 1939 Earthquake
Ghanaian Artist
c. 1939
Cotton cloth with batik designs in orange, black and gold; printed patterns are off-register
Java batik cloth
Javanese
late 20th century
Peacock motif cloth
Peacock motif cloth
Sierra Leonean Artist
20th Century

Collections research is ongoing. Information provided on the Harn’s website about collection objects may be updated, revised, or enhanced at any time.

Harn
Copyright © Harn
null