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The evolution of African clothing is difficult to trace because of the lack of historical evidence. Every textile expresses the individuality of a place in a way that is completely unique; taking us on a journey through the fascinating history of the Motherland through the clothing of our ancestors.
Bogolanfini: Sticks, stones, roots, and bones By 800 C.E., the Ghanaian empire began to flourish due to the development of extensive trade routes in Northern Africa and the discovery of gold throughout the region. Many smaller groups developed into communities in Southern Africa as a result. The Malian empire became large and powerful after the fall of the Ghanaian people in 11 C.E. By 1200 C.E.
Mali was the largest empire in West Africa and profoundly influenced the region’s culture through the spread of its language, laws, and customs. The Mali wore hand printed cloths called Bogolanfini or mud cloth. Each cloth had arrangements of symbols revealing something secret about its intended meaning. The language of the cloth was passed down from mother to daughter along with specific motifs. Men were responsible for weaving the narrow strips of plain fabric that were pieced together into a larger rectangular cloth.
Bogo= “earth” or “mud”Lan= “with” Fini= “cloth”
Meanwhile, in Southern Uganda, Bark cloth was being crafted by the Baganda people of Uganda during the 15th century. Bark cloth was one of the first fabrics made by mankind; using an ancient technique that predates the invention of weaving. Serving as a versatile fabric, the cloth was used to produce loincloths, skirts, draperies, wall hangings, and even bedding. Bark cloth is harvested from the locally grown Mutaba tree without bringing harm to the tree.
The long history of the production of bark cloth among Uganda’s indigenous population provides a great pre-historic example of how to utilize our environment’s renewable resources. Nevertheless, the art of bark cloth making is slowly disappearing to modern convinces. In 2005, UNESCO declared bark cloth making to be a masterpiece of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
Adire Cloth: The original Tie & Dye Adire textile is a resist-dyed cloth originating from the Yoruba people of southwest Nigeria. Scholarly opinions hold that the origin of Adire is unknown, but is believed to have been in production as early as the 12th century. Adire translates as tie and dye in the Yoruba language; the technique was first applied to indigo-dyed cloth decorated with resist-patterns.
The symbols represented on the cloth created and standardized aspects of the people’s culture, drawn from history, legends, myths, proverbs, folklores, and deep observation of their environment. The particular ethical/regional traditions of the Adire cloth were characterized by special weaving techniques. Motifs of Adire are taught by mothers to daughters within dyeing families from generation to generation.
During the 20th century, local tastes began to prefer the Kampala technique; a multi-colored wax-resist cloth, which eventually signaled the decline of the Adire’s popularity. However, there has been a recent revival of the Adire art by Nigerian designers such as Maki-Oh and DoruOlowo.
The Grand Boubou The Boubou also known as the African kaftan was worn by people of the Takur and Ghanaian Empires during the 8th century and by the Mali and Songhai Empires during the 13th century. The kaftan is usually worn with a matching head wrap called a Gele. The kaftan can be made of wool, cashmere, silk, or cotton and may be worn with a sash. The Boubou follows an archaic template to the contemporary male clothing of the middle east. The clothing became widespread throughout the West African region with the migration of semi-nomadic groups. The Boubou consists of three pieces:
1Long-sleeved shirt • 2A pair of tie-up trousers that narrow at the ankle and, • 3Open-stitched overflowing wide sleeveless gown worn over the first two
Adinkra and Kente cloth: Royal wear from Ghana The Ashanti Empire was a pre-colonial African state that emerged in the 17th century. The Ashanti are especially known for two types of cloth: printed Adinkra and woven Kente. The visual presentations printed on the fabrics represent various political messages communicated by colors, symbols, and how the fashion is worn.
Adinkrameans farewell and was originally worn during funeral ceremonies. Black designs were stamped onto black or russet colored fabric with particular colors used for mourning:
1Brown= Kuntukuni • 2Red= Kobene • 3Black=Brisi
The cloth, originally made from Cassava tubers, is now made out of Calabash rinds. The Adinkra fabric served initially as the exclusive property of the King or Asantehene. The cloth now worn by all is still constantly adapting to economic conditions and fashions.
The Kente cloth was worn on ceremonial and festive occasions during the mid-19th century. Kente is composed of narrow strips of hand weaved material sewn together to form a rectangle. The cloth, predominantly woven by men, is double-sided with the design wove into the cloth. The Kente cloth was a way to identify a person’s origin and status. The colorful motifs are named and communicate messages to those who are able to read them:
1Gold= wealthy • 2Yellow= vitality • 3Green= renewal • 4Blue= spiritual purity
In Ancient times the royal family could only utilize gold colored Kente. However, to this day no Ashanti will wear the royal cloth in the Asantehene in his presence. The King is always expected to have the best collection of Kente and Adinkra in the world, from which to choose. The Asante and Ewe traditions create forms of Kente that are impossible to replicate.
During the early 20th-century, the modern Pan-Africanism movement began as a global intellectual campaign that aimed to encourage and strengthen bonds of solidarity between people of color. The advocacy of political unions amongst all indigenous inhabitants of Africa inspired 20th-century Pan-African advocates like, Kame Nkrumah; who urged the rejection of western apparel in favor of nation dress. Yet, members of the young African elite mixed and matched traditional items with clothing made by tailors, each who had his own local flare. Amidst the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s developed an optimistic African youth culture that sought to engage in dialogue on international fashion, music trends and socio- political issues associated with that time. The Civil Rights Era, with its focus on integration and black respectability, paved the way for political expression via the vehicle of fashion.
