African print fabric has a complex history of cross cultural exchange. Tracing its journey through time reveals patterns that portray multiple identities, functions and meanings. But before giving a brief historic outline I will attempt to clarify how exactly the term is defined in this context.
One of the first things that need to be noted is that the object of this research is not strictly speaking African. Neither do I wish to refer to a uniform ‘African-ess’ when applying this term. The way it should be understood in this context is not based on the production place of the material or even the origin of the design. What it implies is the place in which the material comes into contact with people and where it undergoes a process of integration into cultural practices that differ considerably based on specific local history, cultural identity and social structure.
‘African print fabric’ is here defined as a factory printed rectangular piece of cotton cloth that can be observed in use in almost every country in sub-Saharan Africa but is often manufactured in a different cultural context from the one it enters during its user phase. It is not distinguished based on the different production techniques that produce various results of quality and finishing such as would for example differentiate a Dutch ‘wax print’ from a Chinese ‘imi’ or ‘fancy’ print. Although the production techniques may be touched upon regarding the different visual effects they can produce, the research focuses largely on the design or pattern that is printed on the cloth. These patterns can – and in fact often are – subject to copying, re-creation and re-interpretation beyond the distinction of material quality.
Although providing a contextual overview regarding the wider uses of these fabrics, the research specifically investigates how the different print patterns relate to intangible local heritage practices in the context of southern Mozambique and which kind of design may have the greatest impact to sustain such practices. In doing so the research suggests a possible transferability of these discoveries to different regional contexts within sub-Saharan Africa without assuming depth knowledge of any other scenario than the one explored through field research. The examples highlighted through the Mozambican case study are meant to provide a chapter in a book inviting to be filled by others and a springboard to encourage textile designers of African print fabrics elsewhere to challenge their design approach and contribute to this field.
A brief history
Although this study looks at African print fabric as a generic object in terms of its design make-up, it acknowledges its many different manifestations that have their roots in the history of global textile trade. The following paragraphs are only able to broach the surface of a complex network…continue reading
Questions of authenticity
Authentic culture is here understood as the production of cultural values that are constructed through local human-material encounters, a coalescence that does not subject itself to the boundaries of a brand or corporate identity…continue reading
Definition
African print fabric has a complex history of cross cultural exchange. Tracing its journey through time reveals patterns that portray multiple identities, functions and meanings. But before giving a brief historic outline I will attempt to clarify how exactly the term is defined in this context.
One of the first things that need to be noted is that the object of this research is not strictly speaking African. Neither do I wish to refer to a uniform ‘African-ess’ when applying this term. The way it should be understood in this context is not based on the production place of the material or even the origin of the design. What it implies is the place in which the material comes into contact with people and where it undergoes a process of integration into cultural practices that differ considerably based on specific local history, cultural identity and social structure.
‘African print fabric’ is here defined as a factory printed rectangular piece of cotton cloth that can be observed in use in almost every country in sub-Saharan Africa but is often manufactured in a different cultural context from the one it enters during its user phase. It is not distinguished based on the different production techniques that produce various results of quality and finishing such as would for example differentiate a Dutch ‘wax print’ from a Chinese ‘imi’ or ‘fancy’ print. Although the production techniques may be touched upon regarding the different visual effects they can produce, the research focuses largely on the design or pattern that is printed on the cloth. These patterns can – and in fact often are – subject to copying, re-creation and re-interpretation beyond the distinction of material quality.
Although providing a contextual overview regarding the wider uses of these fabrics, the research specifically investigates how the different print patterns relate to intangible local heritage practices in the context of southern Mozambique and which kind of design may have the greatest impact to sustain such practices. In doing so the research suggests a possible transferability of these discoveries to different regional contexts within sub-Saharan Africa without assuming depth knowledge of any other scenario than the one explored through field research. The examples highlighted through the Mozambican case study are meant to provide a chapter in a book inviting to be filled by others and a springboard to encourage textile designers of African print fabrics elsewhere to challenge their design approach and contribute to this field.
A brief history
Although this study looks at African print fabric as a generic object in terms of its design make-up, it acknowledges its many different manifestations that have their roots in the history of global textile trade. The following paragraphs are only able to broach the surface of a complex network…continue reading
Questions of authenticity
Authentic culture is here understood as the production of cultural values that are constructed through local human-material encounters, a coalescence that does not subject itself to the boundaries of a brand or corporate identity…continue reading