Description
Book SynopsisFor centuries, the peoples of Sub-Saharan Africa have been producing domestic and professional embroidery to decorate themselves, their families, clients, homes and public spaces. Embroidery is an expression of artistic, personal, family, regional and even political creativity which has played an important role in the social and cultural lives of people throughout the region. It has also reflected economic and political changes over time as well as social, religious and artistic contexts. This is the first reference work to describe the history of embroidery throughout Africa south of the Sahara from the early modern period through to the present. From quilted armour to embroidered caps and leather sandals, it offers an authoritative guide to all the major embroidery traditions of the region and a detailed examination of the material, technical, artistic and design dimensions of the subject.Generously illustrated with 395 images (362 in colour) of clothes, accesso
Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements Table of Contents
Section 1: Background Information 1. Introduction 2. Fibres, threads and ground materials 3. Embroidery tools, techniques and makers 4. Uses, designs and designers
Section 2: Historical Embroideries 5. Archaeological and historical evidence for textiles and embroidery 6. Snapshot: Embroidered West African Gowns in the Museum Ulm, Germany 7. Snapshot: An early ‘velvet’ embroidery
Section 3: Embroideries from the Sahel 8. Introduction 9. Embroidered men’s trousers from the Sahel 10. Snapshot: Mandinka embroidered garments 11. Embroidery from Mali 12. Snapshot: Kanem-Bornu embroidered garments 13. Snapshot: The Tuaregs and embroidery 14. Snapshot: Wodaabe embroidery 15. Quilted armour from the Sahel
Section 4: Embroideries from West Africa 16. Introduction 17. Embroidered garments and caps from Senegal and The Gambia 18. Snapshot: Stitch resist-dyeing from Senegal 19. Snapshot: Two 19th century embroideries from Sierra Leone 20. Liberian embroidery and quilting 21. Embroidery from Burkina Faso 22. Embroidery from Ghana 23. Fante and Fon appliqué flags 24. Embroidery from Togo 25. Hausa embroidery techniques from northern and northwestern Nigeria 26. Embroideries from southern and central Nigeria 27. Nigerian embroidered headwear for men 28. The West African boubou and the north Nigerian babban riga 29. Snapshot: The Queen Amina embroiderers 30. Appliquéd and embroidered garments from Cameroon
Section 5: Embroideries from Central Africa 31. Introduction 32. Embroidery, appliqué and patchwork from Congo Kinshasa 33. Kuba cut-pile ‘velvet’ embroidery
Section 6: Embroideries from East and Northeast Africa 34. Introduction 35. Snapshot: Embroidered
milaya from South Sudan 36. Embroidery from Eritrea 37. Embroidery from Ethiopia 38. Snapshot: Capt. Speedy’s ‘Ethiopian’ caps 39. Snapshot: Appliqué and embroidered bark cloth from Uganda 40. Snapshot: The Savane Kabuye embroidery workshop from Rwanda 41. Snapshot: East African-Omani embroidered caps 42. Snapshot: East and northeast African embroidered leather sandals 43. Snapshot: Some recent embroidery groups in East Africa
Section 7: Embroideries from Southern Africa 44. Introduction 45. Embroidery from Madagascar 46. Embroidered bark cloth from Zambia 47. Snapshot: The Rhodesian Tapestry: A history in needlework 48. Embroidery and South Africa 49. Snapshot: Embroidered Tsonga
minceka Appendix 1a: List of stitches with drawings Appendix 1b: Alphabetical list of stitches Bibliography Index
