West African Prestige Robes from the Musee du Quai Branly, Paris.

Below are a selection of unusual and early robes from the Musee du Quai Branly, Paris.  Their entire collection may be viewed online here.

Boubou tilbi, Musee du Quai Branly, Paris #73.1963.0.951. Jenne or Timbuctou, Mali, early C20th.

Boubou lomasa, Soninke peoples, Segou region, Mali, early C20th. Musee du Quai Branly, Paris#71.1934.0.34

Rare style of robe from the Bamana people, Segou region, Mali, before 1878. Musee du Quai Branly, Paris 71.1880.69.8

Nupe or Hausa robe from Nigeria collected in the Sahara region of Tamanrasset, Algeria., Nineteenth century. Musee du Quai Branly, Paris # 71.1938.5.1

Talismanic robe, Guinea, collected from Chief Kimné Condetto in 1889. Musee du Quai Branly, Paris#71.1905.44.1

Manding chief's robe, Liberia, C19th or early C20th. Musee du Quai Branly, Paris #70.2007.21.1

 

Exploring the West African textile collections of the Musee du Quai Branly: Part Four–Two Fon Royal Tunics.

“Gbecon-Huegbo workshop and Yemadje family: Ceremonial tunic (?), Fon style -  late 19th Century. Cotton 87.5 cm x 143. #71.1936.21.103 Musee du Quai Branly. Donated by Bernard Maupoil.”

“The kansawu is a “predator” tunic, designed to give freedom of movement to the arms and hands. However the presence of pockets means this is an item of clothing of the court, even a royal item. The quality and the extent of the embroidery, undoubtedly inspired by workshops in the Yoruba and Hausa territory, indicate its value and the rank of its wearer. This item of clothing was a joint work between the weavers of Gbekon Huegbo and Hounli, the cutting workshop and the Yemadje embroiderers of the Hountondji district.” [Abomey, Benin Republic.]

text by Joseph Adandé (Source:  Gaëlle Beaujean-Baltzer ed. Artistes D’Abomey – Fondation Zinsou, 2009).

“Gnimavo family  and Yemadje family: Prime Minister’s robe, Fon style -  between 1818 and 1858. Cotton and bone. 103.5 cm x 103.5cm x 10cm. #71.1936.21.66. Musee du Quai Branly. Donated by Bernard Maupoil.”

“Robe of Xagla, the migan of Guez0 (1818-1858). On the front a goats’ skull, from which the migan drank alcohol in private, before the sacrifices. Inside, a human jawbone, on which was eaten the powder of strength. the goats’ head has been daubed with human blood. (…) Robe worn when an enemy king or a particularly redoubtable individual was about to be exexcuted.” (Inv. Musee de l’Homme by B. Maupoil, 1936.) “

(Source:  Gaëlle Beaujean-Baltzer ed. Artistes D’Abomey – Fondation Zinsou, 2009). I would urge anyone to track down this remarkable and beautifully designed catalogue/book.

Cloth of the month: An Owo Yoruba royal shawl

AS394 - Unique royal shawl cloth "elegheghe" woven by a weaver called Obamadesara in the Yoruba town of Owo. Obamadesara was a prince in one of the royal compounds of Owo who travelled widely around Nigeria in his youth and returned to the town around 1920. From then until his death in the 1950s he wove a small number of shawl cloths for women in his lineage in a unique style that included the tapestry weave lizzard motif shown here (similar patterns on other West African textiles were woven using an entirely different supplementery weft float technique.) Owo was a centre of weaving by women on the upright loom but aside from a few migrants from Ilorin had no tradition of narrow strip weaving. It is likely that Obamadesara learnt to weave elsewhere in Nigeria and adapted his innovative cloths based on this as yet undiscovered tradition.

According to an article about him by a Nigerian academic, Dr Tunde Akinwumi, he was the only person to weave in this way and had no apprentices (I can supply reference etc if requested.) The article also suggests that he wove under 30 pieces in total. This cloth is the only one I know of with this complex check design, more typically they have a distinctive border along one edge as in the cloth shown on page 50 of John Gillow "African Textiles" (2003). Obamadesara's work is represented in museum collections by two cloths that we sourced, one now in the Musee du Quai Branly, Paris and the other in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This example uses hand spun thread throughout, is hand sewn, complete, and is in excellent condition, with minor fraying at one selvedge. Measurements: 66 ins x 39, 168 cm x 89.

Click on the photos to enlarge. More details on our gallery here.

Exploring the West African textile collections of the Musee du Quai Branly: Part Three – Fon banners from the Kingdom of Dahomey

These remarkable appliqué banners are among the most important items of royal court art from the Kingdom of Dahomey, now in the Republic of Benin. Until they transferred their role to the making of tourist arts in the mid twentieth century, families of specialist textile workers at the court in Abomey supplied dramatic wall hangings that praised the king and illustrated key aspects of his social identity and achievements. The Quai Branly collection, without doubt the most important outside the Palace Museum in Abomey itself, includes early C20th examples and some pieces presented to the French ruler Napoleon III in 1856.

The banner above, made by the Yémadjé family in 1911 or 1912 as a copy of a banner in the palace collection, shows King Glèlè, represented as the lion devouring his enemies, at lower left a male panther, mythical ancestor of the royal dynasty, around them the soldiers of the king capturing his enemies. (Source:  Gaëlle Beaujean-Baltzer ed. Artistes D’Abomey – Fondation Zinsou, 2009)

Above – one of the banners presented to Napoleon III in 1856.

Gabin Djimassé, a Benin historian, wrote the following brief history of the banners:

“Unlike the forge, appliqué cloth had not been present in Danhomè. It bacame known in the kingdom in the reign of King Agadja (1711-1742). The craft owes its origin to this king who captured two master appliqué workers in the region of Avranku, in the north of Porto-Novo, and set them up at  Abomey, entirely at his own service. they were Hantan and Zinflou (Hankantan, Zinflou mondo), names which translate literally as “The sepals of cereals which served to make fire are finished, and darkness has set in.”

It is important to note that the appliqué cloth of the two craftsmen was made on a background of raffia, rather than cloth, which is used nowadays. the king took time to supply cloth to these families of craftsmen, for it was one of the rare and precious products that was imported, exchanged by French traders for slaves.

This art progressed greatly in the reign of King Agonglo (1789-1797), especially wit h the arrival of Yemadje in Abomey. Unlike Hantan and Zinflou, Yemadje was endowed and “married” by King Agonglo. This unusual situation made the man an ahossi, that is to say a “wife” of the king. as such he had access to the whole palace, including the interior court which was generally reserved for the king and his wives. The king led his private life in the inner court. Through such proximity with the king, Yemadje finally supplanted Hantan and Zinflou. As from then he became the principal appliqué worker, to whom all royal commissions were confided.” (Source:  Gaëlle Beaujean-Baltzer ed. Artistes D’Abomey – Fondation Zinsou, 2009)

The Musee du Quai Branly, Paris, holds one of the world’s most significant collections of West African textiles, with particular strength in some of the former French colonies. The entire collection is accessible on line  via their website. Check the textiles button then enter the country name in the box below.

Exploring the West African textile collections of the Musee du Quai Branly: Part Two – some early bogolanfini

The majority of these cloths were collected at the start of the twentieth century by Francois de Zeltner, who published an article on bogolan in 1910. We can note both that some are remarkable similar to designs produced a century later, and that some are notably different.

Click on the photos to enlarge.

The Musee du Quai Branly, Paris, holds one of the world’s most significant collections of West African textiles, with particular strength in some of the former French colonies. The entire collection is accessible on line  via their website. Check the textiles button then enter the country name in the box below.

Exploring the West African textile collections of the Musee du Quai Branly: Part One – some unusual indigo cloths.

Senegal – Soninke or Wolof fold resist indigo, early C20th.

Senegal – Soninke or Wolof fold resist indigo, early C20th.

Senegal – Wolof stitch resist indigo early C20th.

Senegal – Soninke or Wolof tied resist indigo, early C20th.

Senegal – Wolof stitch resist indigo early C20th.

Ivory Coast, tied resist indigo – attributed to the Baule. Collected 1900.

Click on the photos to enlarge.

The Musee du Quai Branly, Paris, holds one of the world’s most significant collections of West African textiles, with particular strength in some of the former French colonies. The entire collection is accessible on line  via their website. Check the textiles button then enter the country name in the box below.