R6060/14 Textile; Kanga; Wrap

Unseparated pair of kangas in a blue floral design

Kanga (Museum Accession Number R6060/14)

This pair of unseparated kangas was made in Mombasa, Kenya from machine-printed cotton in 2017. They feature a floral and trellis design. Traditional kanga designs are inspired by guineafowl, a speckled bird found across sub-Saharan Africa, – ‘kanga’ is the Kiswahili word for guineafoul. Kangas are bought in pairs and worn as an outfit with one wrapped as a skirt and one as a top, shawl or head covering. They usually feature a slogan which is used to make a statement, whether personal or political. The slogan on this kanga translates as ‘If we cooperate we can live anywhere’. Collected as part of the Fashioning Africa project.

Creator: Kaderdina Hajee Essak Limited

Place: Mombasa, Coast Province, Kenya, East Africa, Africa

Date: 2017