Textiles

Explore Brighton Museum’s flat textile collections acquired by the Fashioning Africa project.

a colourful woven cloth which features a map of Ghana
R6074 Textile; Kente
This narrow strip woven kente cloth was created by Ewe weaver Gator Gbogbo. This asidanuvor or design cloth characteristically features Read more
Kente design cloth in yellow, green and blue.
R6076/1 Textile; Kente
This narrow strip woven kente cloth was created by Ewe weaver Exodus Hallo. It was especially commissioned for Nene Akoto Read more
blue, white, red and yellow kente cloth
R6077 Textile; Kente
This narrow strip woven kente cloth was created by Ewe weaver Bokorkpo Yawo in 1957. It is usually difficult to Read more

Textiles form an important part of the new Fashioning Africa collection. There is a long rich history of weaving, printing, dying, embellishing and repurposing textiles throughout the African continent and the new collection showcases diverse styles, techniques and practices as seen in post-1960s textiles produced in African countries and the UK African diaspora.

Collected examples include textiles that are culturally-specific, such as the ‘Neck of elep with a line’ design shirt from the Jóola community in Senegal, textiles produced and worn over a broad geographic area like shweshwe (German cloth) from southern Africa and aso-oke cloth from Nigeria, and textiles that have become global signifiers of a pan-African identity, such as wax print and dashiki.

Some of the collected textiles are cloths made to be worn as a wrap or pair of wrappers, or to be used as accessories, for example kangas from East Africa, Basotho blankets from southern Africa, and kente cloths from Ghana. Others are examples of material that would be used to make tailored garments, or pieces of material, for example strips of fabric that would be sewn together to make up a cloth. Examples include both handwoven and mass-produced pieces.

detail of orange and gold aso-oke fabric embellished with sequins and gems

Details of aso-oke outfit (Museum Accession Number R6091)

The collected textiles demonstrate the evolution of textile design and manufacture over time, according to everchanging tastes, identities and fashions. Examples include classic styles and techniques, as well as innovative contemporary pieces. These demonstrate some of the ways in which textile production and taste have developed as well as the impact of new technologies. A 2018 example of an aso-oke textile demonstrates this: it is made using a design and technique which are over 120 years old, but also features a contemporary silhouette and layers of embellishments applied using new technology.

Given the extraordinary range and diversity of textiles produced in African countries, the examples collected by Brighton Museum can only provide a limited insight into post-1960 textile production and consumption. Nevertheless, given the relative absence of textiles of this period in museum collections, we hope that these might provide useful starting points for considering how wider social, political, cultural and economic changes have been reflected in the making and wearing of textiles in African countries in the post-independence era.

Object photographs courtesy of John Reynolds

R6074 Textile; Kente

a colourful woven cloth which features a map of GhanaThis narrow strip woven kente cloth was created by Ewe weaver Gator Gbogbo. This asidanuvor or design cloth characteristically features motifs, people and animals woven into the strips. It features a map of Ghana, depicting regions and main cities. This type of design is believed to have developed in Togo, where Gbogbo was working in the 1990s. These maps have become Gbogbo’s signature work, and this piece was commissioned for the Fashioning Africa collection. Past publications featuring images of Gbogbo’s cloths have failed to attribute the work to him, he therefore wove his name and phone number into this cloth as a way of ensuring he would be given credit for this work. Collected as part of the Fashioning Africa project.

Creator: Gator Gbogbo

Place: Abenyinase, Agotime, Ghana, West Africa, Africa

Date: 2017

  • a man weaving a kente cloth at a large wooden loom
  • a man weaving a kente cloth with metallic green thread
  • three women and a man crouch on the ground next to a kente cloth
Top row: Gator Gbogbo weaving the cloth acquired by the museum. Bottom, left to right: Curator Rachel Heminway Hurst, Collecting Panel member Nicola Stylianou, weaver Gator Gbogbo, kente expert Malika Kramer

R6076/1 Textile; Kente

Kente design cloth in yellow, green and blue.

Kente (Museum Accession Number R6076/1)

This narrow strip woven kente cloth was created by Ewe weaver Exodus Hallo. It was especially commissioned for Nene Akoto Sah VII to wear at the Agotime Kpetoe Kente Festival, an important annual event for Ewe people. Nene Akoto, whose given name is Emmanuel Tetteh, is a respected war chief and prominent member of society. His role at the Kente Festival is thus very important, as is the need for a prestigious new cloth. It is an Adanuvor or ‘two faced’ design cloth and Nene Akoto assisted in devising the unique pattern and colourway. At the 2016 festival Nene Akoto made his striking entrance carried on a palanquin dancing in this new cloth. Collected as part of the Fashioning Africa project.

Creator: Exodus Hallo

Place: Agotime Kpetoe , Volta Region, Ghana, West Africa, Africa

Date: 2016

a formal portrait of a war chief wearing a green and blur kente

Along with the cloth itself, the museum acquired this portrait of Nene Akoto Sah VII, wearing his kente outfit for the Agotime Kente Festival, 2016

Nene Akoto Sah VII dancing in his kente at the Agotime Kente Festival 2016

R6077 Textile; Kente

blue, white, red and yellow kente cloth

Kente (Museum Accession number R6077)

This narrow strip woven kente cloth was created by Ewe weaver Bokorkpo Yawo in 1957. It is usually difficult to find well provenanced older cloths, but fortunately the owner, Dometi Delali, supplied the museum with a detailed history. The age is also of significance as it was created the year Ghana gained independence from British colonial rule, and kente cloth became increasing popular as a celebration and symbol of Ghanaian culture. This is a smaller woman’s cloth and the design is called Gabati or ‘steel bed’. The cloth contains numerous designs and motifs relating to the female gender and they were worn at thanksgiving ceremonies after the birth of a child. The practice of kente was originated by the Ewe and Asante people in Ghana. Collected in Ghana as part of the Fashioning Africa project.

Creator: Bokorkpo Yawo

Place: Awoma, Jasikan District, Volta Region, Ghana, West Africa, Africa

Date: 1957