The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 19, 2025

Bark Cloth

early 1900s

Africa, East Africa, Uganda, Baganda style, unknown maker

Bark (probably Ficus natalensis) and dye
Overall: 223.5 x 209.6 cm (88 x 82 1/2 in.)
Gift of the African Art Sponsors of Karamu House 1929.368
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Bark cloth originated in the nineteenth-century Buganda Kingdom as royal dress.

Description

Made from thinly pounded tree bark, this cloth was stamped and painted with natural dyes in a vibrant pattern of concentric circles and four-pointed stars. Large examples like this were used in the Buganda court as prestige dress or as a movable architectural element.
  • 1928
    Paul Travis on behalf of the African Art Sponsors
    The African Art Sponsors
    1929–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art by gift
  • {{cite web|title=Bark Cloth|url=false|author=|year=early 1900s|access-date=19 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1929.368