The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of April 19, 2024
Man's Garment
possibly early 1900s
Overall: 169.8 x 211.5 cm (66 7/8 x 83 1/4 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 2003.89
Location: not on view
Did You Know?
The tying of fabric during the making of this garment gives its surface a distinctively "crinkled" texture.Description
Displayed flat to highlight its designs and preserve its delicate fibers, this wrapper was meant to drape around the body. An elite man wore it with one corner over a shoulder, the knotted fringe skimming his ankles. The garment gained its earth-toned geometric patterns through plangi, a knot-and-twist resist dyeing technique; each color is applied in a different dye bath, from lightest to darkest. While their patterns are unique, these garments reflect regional influence: Dida women likely learned hand interlacing from Liberian Kpelle weavers. Such garments were given as gifts or worn on special occasions, at least into the 1990s.- 2003(David Lantz, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)2003-The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- Adams, Monni, and T. Rose Holdcraft. 1992. “Dida Woven Raffia Cloth from Côte D'ivoire.” African Arts 25 (3): 42–101.Gillow, John. African Textiles: Colour and Creativity Across a Continent. London: Thames & Hudson, 2003. p. 66-7
- Stories From Storage. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 7-May 16, 2021).
- {{cite web|title=Man's Garment|url=false|author=|year=possibly early 1900s|access-date=19 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2003.89