Bamileke Ndop Textile Cameroon 103.5x23 Inch
Width: 103.5
Description
Handwoven textiles tied to the kingship an considered as a symbol of chiefly power and status and used in funerary rituals. This is a very old textile showing extensive use.
This cloth is made out of cotton dyed with indigo pigment using the resist-dye technique. The design is overstretched with raffia. Paul Gebauer wrote an interesting description of the technique used in the fabrication of such textiles: " The local handspun cotton was woven into narrow strips, each about two inches wide, and then sewn together, edge to edge, to form the cloth" Guided by a rough outline, the cloth was stitched together tightly with dye-resistant raffia fiber. The stitched fabric was then dyed in indigo."
It was stated that such textiles originated in East-Central Nigeria. They were brought to Cameroon by the Hausa traders. Adopted by the Bamun Sultan Njoya of Fumba at the end of the 19th century, these textiles became very popular in the royal courts before their use was extended to notabilities and other categories of the population. The large ones used by the royal court were very decorative and used patterns related the royalty: ground plans of the royal court, and animals associated to political power (leopard, Elephant...). Their principal uses were "either with the symbolism of chiefly power and status or with funerary customs and rituals," according to AU CAMEROON_WEAVING-TISSAGE, by Lamb, which has extensive information and superb photos. Hung behind the king during official ceremonies, such textiles were symbols of the power of the king and completed the ceremonies. Tunics such as this were worn by dignitaries.
We do not recommend laundering textiles and do not accept returns of textiles that have been laundered in any manner. Even dry cleaning is too much for some of these antique textiles. For some of them, a very gentle HAND washing (NEVER MACHINE, on any setting) in cool water with a very gentle detergent works, but even then, dyes may not be colorfast, and fabric may be less strong than it appears.
Approximate Age: 20th Century
People: ["Bamileke"]
Country of Origin: Cameroon
Condition
Overall Condition: Fair to Good. Most of our pieces have spent decades on at least two continents, and have been treasured by several owners.