textile (function unknown); textile

Sierra Leonean country cloth made from teith strips individually woven on a tripod loom and hand sewn together to form the larger textile. Both warp and weft is a loosely spun singles yarn, with the blue sections dyed using indigo. The patterning comprises natural coloured stripes alternating with groups of blue and cream. The warp ends are unfinished. There are a number of weaving errors throughout.

An example of Sierra Leonean country cloth. These thick heavy textiles were traditionally made from locally grown cotton, collected by women and spun into thread and dyed by men. Men were also the main weavers, and would have used a tripod loom to create a series of strips which were then sewn together edge to edge to create a larger cloth with a more complex pattern. County cloths have been recorded as being used as trade items, worn as part of elite ceremonial dress, as well as burial shrouds (plain white).

Collection Information

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