The African continent is home to numerous outstanding textile traditions, many dating to antiquity and all playing a multifaceted role in their respective societies: these eye-catching fabrics proclaim wealth and status, convey symbolic meanings, and of course serve a practical function in garments both ordinary and exceptional. This magnificent book conveys the amazing diversity of African textiles, from the geometric-patterned kente cloths of Ghana, to the multicolour raffia skirts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, to the beaded barkcloths once reserved for Ugandan royalty. The authors, all leading experts in the field, examine each region of sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar in turn, elucidating the aesthetic qualities, cultural significance, and production methods of the most important textile traditions. Their authoritative text is illustrated with over 300 superlative textiles from public and private collections, many reproduced as full-page plates that allow the reader to appreciate each individual fibre. This impressive clothbound volume will be a key reference for students and scholars, an essential sourcebook for designers, and a delight for all art lovers.

About the Author

Duncan Clarke is a textile dealer and has written numerous books and articles on African textiles, most recently African Textiles: The Karun Thakar Collection.

Vanessa Drake Moraga is an independent scholar, textile dealer, and author of Weaving Abstraction: Kuba Textiles and the Woven Art of Central Africa.

Sarah Fee is a curator of global fashion and textiles at Royal Ontario Museum, and has authored many articles on Malagasy textiles.

Book Information
ISBN 9780789214508
Author Duncan Clarke
Format Hardback
Page Count 448
Imprint Abbeville Press Inc.,U.S.
Publisher Abbeville Press Inc.,U.S.
Weight(grams) 3426g