Ghanaian textiles exhibition
Cloth, wax-resist-dyed on cotton. c. 2000-2007 © The Trustees of the British Museum
The British Museum’s touring exhibition of Ghanaian textiles is currently on show at Fareham’s Westbury Manor Museum (until 25 April).
Fabric of a Nation: Textiles and Identity in Modern Ghana originated as a BM exhibition marking Ghana’s 50th anniversary in 2007 and was so successful that it’s been touring the country ever since. It features the nation’s traditional printed cloths worn by men, women and children, looking at their designs, what messages they convey and how they are used.
There are two different types of cloth on show here: the wax-printed cloths and the ‘fancy’ prints. The former are industrially produced using a resist-dye method originally inspired by Indonesian batiks. These were first imported to Africa’s Gold Coast in the mid 19th century and became so popular that their use soon spread across Central Africa and they were assimilated into the African textile tradition. These wax-printed cloths are more prestigious than the cheaper-to-produce ‘fancy’ prints and they give their owner a certain status. This status is enhanced by the designs themselves which often carry specific meanings – for example, the Akonfona design depicts the sword of kingship and wearing this denotes wealth and a high social standing.
The roller-printed ‘fancy’ prints are also laden with meaning, but often in a much more overt way. As they can be produced in short runs and can incorporate photographs and slogans, some are used almost as glorified textile adverts, worn by campaigners to get over a specific social or political messages in much the same way as Western designers might use a slogan on a T-shirt. Others communicate more general messages such as proverbs. This communicative values makes these textiles of particular importance in a country like Ghana with many different ethnic and linguistic divisions.
www3.hants.gov.uk/westbury-manor-museum
