Object Details
- Fon artist
- Label Text
- In the ancient West African kingdom of Dahomey, appliqué cloths were made on commission by members of family guilds for individuals of high rank and power. The appliqué designs depicting birds, fish, wild animals (lion, bush cow), human beings, plants (trees, pineapple), sailing ships, king's insignia and the like recalled particular events during the reign of the kings of Dahomey and were linked with well-known proverbs to convey stories of power, conquest and status. Many of the designs seem linked with bas-relief patterns on palace walls. Certain designs referred to the praise names of local rulers and the arrangements of figures suggested, at times, progression in the actions of daily life, a familiar story or a specific incident.
- Traditionally, men were the producers of appliqué, working with European trade cloth to create state umbrellas, rulers' hats, association banners and hammocks, pillow tops and wall hangings to decorate the houses of chiefs and others of high status. More recently, wall hangings, in particular, have become popular tourist items, fueling the production of new appliqué cloths to meet market demand.
- Description
- Cotton applique in red, yellow, blue, green and white on black, depicting twelve squares showing animals and objects with names of kings and their reign dates.
- Exhibition History
- Artful Animals, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., July 1, 2009-July 25, 2010
- Content Statement
- As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
- Image Requests
- High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
- Credit Line
- Museum purchase
- Late 20th century
- Object number
- 79-13-24
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Type
- Textile and Fiber Arts
- Medium
- Cotton
- Dimensions
- H x W: 109.2 x 163.8 cm (43 x 64 1/2 in.)
- Geography
- Abomey, Benin
- See more items in
- National Museum of African Art Collection
- National Museum of African Art
- Topic
- fish
- bird
- lion
- musical instrument
- weapon
- boat
- bushcow
- tool
- Plant
- male
- Record ID
- nmafa_79-13-24
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys79fb5b0a0-500f-469a-b3f2-8a095721ab95
