Woman's wrapper

NameWrapper

CultureYoruba

Dateca. 1935

Place madeLagos, Nigeria, Africa

MediumCotton, silk or rayon

Dimensions47 1/16 × 76 3/8 × 1/16 in. (119.5 × 194 × 0.2 cm)

Credit LineMuseum of International Folk Art, gift of Barbarine Rich, A.2018.4.12

Object numberA.2018.4.12

ProvenanceThese textiles were sourced by Dr. Duncan Clarke, who earned his PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, specializing in aso oke (Nigerian strip weaving). He published a number of books on West African textiles and works as a high-end dealer in London. The donor purchased the textiles from Dr. Clarke. She began selectively collecting textiles many years ago and intended to launch her own private textile museum in a house beside the Wheelwright Museum on Museum Hill in Santa Fe. These plans were stalled and more recently abandoned when her young daughter was discovered to be terminally ill; she began to divest her large textile holdings.

DescriptionThis wrapper is made from ten strips of aso oke (strips woven on horizontal narrow band loom) in greens and greys. It has a woven text (using supplementary weft float). The text, in a cream color, repeats the phrase Prince Sansusi Ohisi, Orun Rere (Prince Sansusi Olusi, sleep well) on each of the ten strips. There are repeats of stylized faces reminiscent of skull and crossbone motif. The warp faced garment also includes brocade patterns of Koranic board motifs and warp/weft stripes.