POWER CLOTHS OF THE COMMONWEALTH RMIT Victoria The Place To Be GALLERY Crafts Museum New Delhi India Australian Government 26 September -20 October ano Catalogue of Works

A I C ARTS Government of South Australia Arts SA Dep ot of Fon¼o AffsInandt Trade VICTORIA 8

POWER CLOTHS Ls": St,'• ------ _ _ _ OF THE COMMONWEALTH m g Crafts Museum, New Delhi, India -,..- .-,....n.....-.: "C7 25 September —20 October 2010 -- rtr 'ft -t; - ; ------4: T _ Curators: Suzanne Davies and jasleen Dhamija 0 ' • O.' NA, .0-•:\14

‘74..!oi"“ -s i ..i. Exhibition Advisory Committee, Delhi: 1. ..71 1‘,-) °•4# ‘.....7 • Not till ri .,,,, 40. Dr Ruchira Chose, Chairman, Crafts Museum; ProfessorJasleen Dharnija; Mr Ashok Dhawan; Mr Sudhakar Rao and Mrs Anita Saran --4•047 t Iv, \ • ' fa'N,\ • 4: ''llist, d .••••,, Research Assistant to Jasleen Dhamija: Ms Paroma Ghose k , i , ' vo, Exhibition Installation: Black Lines (4 '4, 1 RMIT GALLERY, MELBOURNE Director: Suzanne Davies Executive Assistant to Suzanne Davies: Vanessa Gerrans Exhibition Coordinator: Helen Rayment Conservators: Debra Spoehr and Sharon Towns Project Administration: Jon Buckingham ear 0 0 1\0 ' CRAFTS MUSEUM, NEW DELHI Chairman: Dr Ruchira Ghose Deputy Director: Dr Mushtalc Than e ri Deputy Director: Dr Chart; Sculta Gupta Mr S Ansari, Mr Bhittilal, Mrs S P Grover, Mr R L Karna, Mr MC Kaushik, Mr B B Meher, Mr Sahib Ram, Mr Nawab Singh, Mr Rajendra Singh, Mr Sunderlal Public Program: Ms Rim Sethi and Professor Vandana Bhandari (symposium)

THIS EXHIBITION HAS BEEN KINDLY SUPPORTED BY The Australian Government through the Australia International Cultural Council, an initiative of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; The Australia-India Council; The High Commission of Canada; Indian High Commission Trinidad and Tobago, Powerloom ,••r • eie.• • •..7 ------v iv.••• •••"V TTLV V:ih/rVitV • V , Development and Export Promotion Council; The High Commission r ',MTV ••• V•i i \;•Iv \ri 'y ------• t t ,n4p. o .SZ. .r ›6 6 0 of ; The High Commission of Malaysia; RMIT University; t .1:Ctt t in W., ;;: ;, e• lilt if; !fa ca. ; ; Zn" 4;j. 1H4., esn The Victorian State Government. Professor Kay Lawrence AM, ‘itcepo.', 449 jr.',..„-b6 J cst supported by Government of South Australia, Arts SA, and the University of South Australia. f A A A hjA A -3 1-6; ern IA 4A, A AAA At. tit 'A. 'fr- •--A -nal'.3 3 3 A. A A -= KAU) .4-1.1).* A 6 .O. The Place To Be

The Commonwealth Games zoio will provide an unique opportunity to Victoria and India enjoy a longstanding relationship based on mutual respect showcase vignettes of our cultural traditions to visitors from 74 countries. and common interests, and supported by the presence of a large and vibrant The exhibition of from the Commonwealth countries, being organized Indian community in our state. by RMIT Gallery, Melbourne, and Crafts Museum, Government of India, titled Power Cloths of the Commonwealth, should be a captivating event. Victoria has built its fortune on our people — using their skills, knowledge and capabilities to establish dynamic and internationally-focused industries, embodies the cultural ethos of a society, its ethnic identity and its creative supported by high levels of investment in science and technology, education expression. It is also an effective symbol of the philosophy and socio-political and innovation. history of the society. The exhibition brings together the variety and wealth of creative expression that finds shape in a basic material need of humanity. Nearly one quarter of Victorians were born overseas and more than 43 per cent have a parent who was born overseas. Victorians come from more than 200 The exhibition will be inaugurated on Sunday 26 September zoio at the Crafts countries and speak over 230 languages and dialects. Victoria's thriving Indian Museum, New Delhi. The Government of India and the Government of Australia, community is nearly 300 000 strong and has been vital in creating personal, State of Victoria and the High Commissions of many countries have contributed business and community connections between India and Victoria — connections significantly to this exhibition. that have led to cutting-edge collaborations in science and technology, exciting arts and cultural exchanges, and new investment and trade opportunities. I wish this special exhibition all success. Power Cloths of the Commonwealth had its creative beginnings in the Cultural Programme for the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in zoo6. It is a pleasure Sheila Dikshit that the handover State of Victoria, through creative partnerships, is able to share CHIEF MINISTER OF DELHI,INDIA in the spirit of the XIX Commonwealth Games, Delhi. In partnership with our host the Crafts Museum, the Australian International Cultural Council, the Australia-India Council, RMIT University, we are delighted to present this contribution to the enjoyment and success of the XIX Commonwealth Games, Delhi.

John Brumby PREMIER OF VICTORIA

Jacinta Allan MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY & TRADE POWER CLOTHS OF THE COMMONWEALTH ZAMBIA These are the times when the origins and UNITED KINGDOM SIERRA LEONE history of the tribe are recited in the form Makishi Masquerade mask and costume Textiles and power have many intriguing cultural and political of epic poems by the royal soothsayer. The VR Gloyes,1897, as worn by Queen Victoria. Shaman (Sierra Leone). Wood, fibre worked in macrame Makishi embody the mythical heroes and Pair of black gloves embroidered in chain Photograph: Dave Tacon. connotations. Three distinctive but not mutually exclusive notions Mask: 138 x 34 Cm perform their legendary skills and deeds. stitch with VR for Victoria Regina and a so x Sz cm Body: 1.2 crown, celebrating the monarch's Diamond RMIT Gallery Collection, of power are at play, including power implied as a consequence of the The masks are made of a wicker structure political significance of the wearer: for example, the distinctive dress Jubilee (So year reign). Melbourne, Australia Makishi: Masks from Zambia covered with tree-bark, although nowadays 32.5 x 8.3cm cloth is also common, moulding and choices of major political figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal The tradition of the Makishi masquerade Collection: Meg Andrews, London. Wielding a sword in the battle depicting the distinctive features of each Nehru, , Nelson Mandela or Queen Victoria. is original of the Luvale, Chokwe and the www.meg-andrews.com against AIDS character. The mask is then plastered and Mbunda people in the North Western The British Empire reached its peak of painted or decorated with pieces of white Sierra Leone, along with other West African provinces of Zambia, although the power during the reign of Queen Victoria Of particular note, from a private collection in Edinburgh, Scotland and paper and red cloth. These colours have countries such as Benin and Senegal, is said migration towards urban areas has The formation of the Commonwealth of never before exhibited, is the blanket gifted to Reginald Reynolds symbolic meanings, the red being the to be one of the birthplaces of voodoo, which contributed to the diffusion of makishi Countries emerged out of the recognition blood of circumcision and menstruation, was taken to America and the West Indies by Mahatma Gandhi at his ashram at Sabarmati in 1929. Reynolds was traditions beyond the region traditionally of a common legacy after liberation. Many signifying suffering but also life. White by the unfortunate souls captured by slave appointed by Gandhi to deliver the Ultimatum to the British Viceroy occupied by these tribes. Makishi has been of the countries brought into the Empire stands for purity, black for death. Animal traders. recently declared Masterpieces of the Oral during colonial expansion shared similar explaining the reasons for the revolt against British rule. fur, bark fibres and natural dyes are used to and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by administrative infrastructure introduced According to the United Nations, Sierra decorate the makishi masks and costumes. Power may also arise from the spiritual or mystical status of the garment UNESCO. by the British, such as a broad civil service Leone is the poorest nation in the world. It Distinctive of the is struggling to recover from one of the most The Makishi (singular: Likishn, through the Chikuza, the mask and an education system based on the use or cloth. Such powers may be embodied in the configuration of particular presented here, is the long, conical headgear. of English. The principles binding member brutal conflicts of the zoth century. On top forms/shapes/images such as in the shaman's from the Than, mask and the costume, are the reincarnation of grinding poverty and the scars of a ten- of the ancestors who rise from the He is a fairly benign spirit who "acts as master countries of the Commonwealth still alive of ceremonies during year war, the spectre of AIDS looms. Malaysia, or the head hunters' shawl. graveyards and come back from the spirit mukanda and supervises today are a sense of common colonial world among the living during important the work of circumcising the tundanji history, governance based on democratic Apart from patriarchal traditions, one of Ritually powerful cloths are further represented by the spectacular social and cultural events. (young candidates)", "it favours fertility and values, the desire for peace, liberty of the the biggest stumbling blocks to curbing hunting". Yoruba masquerade costumes, the Egzingan masks. The Makishi Chi/cure thus combines powerful individual and equality of all races. the spread of HIV is scepticism of Western The ancestral spirits are central to the functions and is most important. Among medicine. Evil spirits have long been accepted masquerade masks of Zambia also embody powerful ancestral spirits. religious beliefs as guardians of the social the Luvak tribe Chi/cure also instructs the TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO as the cause of the many ailments that plague There is a particular focus on ceremonial cloths used by indigenous order, and of traditional values, thus the "youngsters in the intricacies of the kuhunga nations such as Sierra Leone, where sanitary communities from Canada, New Zealand and Australia including the Makishi embody the connection between dance, which involves complex twisting Carnival costume conditions fall well short of basic needs. the living and the dead and they ensure the motions of the legs that must coincide with Brian McFARLANE possum skin cloak worn by South-Eastern Australian Aboriginal elders. In this environment Hassan Jalloh is a magic stability and continuity of the society. the movements of the waist"' Dimensions variable man and war hero. When the marauding Mixed media Significantly for Power Cloths of the Commonwealth, power also refers to the The Makishi are surrounded by secrecy and The facial features of this lift/ski "are rebel faction known as the RUE entered they instil sentiments of fear and respect. highlighted with the use of red and white Collection of the artist excellence of technique in making and/or the value of the materials used, Sierra Leone from bordering Liberia, he Each mask personifies a different character, stripes over the forehead, eyes and mouth. took up a sword passed down from his sustained by embedded cultural communal values and deep cultural some absolutely terrifying while others are The elaborate headgear includes a large SOUTH AFRICA great grandfather and helped to protect his knowledge. Included here are cloths of high aesthetic value which were more benevolent, caring or entertaining. protuberance that is said to portray the people. He claims to have never fired a gun traded around the world. For example, the rare painted and printed Some masks have zoomorphic features horns of a great antelope from the forest. Madiba shirt worn by Nelson Mandela . and preaches non-violence. with deep pedagogic value. New characters This particular antelope has special meaning Desre BUIRSKI, South Africa. created by Gujarati masters and generously lent by Shilpa also find their way among more traditional for the Chokwe for it was, and still is, , So x So cm. Mr Jalloh was rumoured to have been cap- and Praful Shah can be dated to 1.4th/i6th Century, along with the large masks following the dramatic events that associated with power and virility. Chi/cure's Private collection tured many times during the conflict, but trade processional patola and Moghul hanging. Other exquisite have marked the recent history of the power is often transferred to small amulets managed to escape. Rather than kill him, the Zulu King's Head Dress. rebels wanted to harness his magical powers, examples of this category include a brocaded Jama, a brocaded khilat and bordering countries of Angola and Congo that are worn by infertile women hoping or more simply the technical innovations of to conceive or tied to hunter's fifes (old South Africa. Made from including his mythologised imperviousness breathtaking Kashmiri shawls which formed part of the tribute paid by the modern world, like the airplane. muzzle loaders) as good luck charms..." the fur of a doe. so x zo x 12Cm. to bullets. He claims that when he was cap- Kashmir to Maharajah Ranjit Singh, lent by C.L. Bharany. And from the The makishi perform with music and dance On loan from the tured, he threw his sword in the air, where it Traditional Chiefs decide when to call South African High Commission waited for him until his escape. Mohatta Museum, Karachi, is the equally extraordinarypugree of a for the initiation ceremonies and the displaying a variety of styles including Baluchi Chief. other annual events which require the acrobatics to beautiful drum rhythms. The Escapology is a major aspect of Mr Jolloh's authoritative presence of the ancestors. drummers have an orchestra of up to eight SRI LANKA magic show. He also summons loaves of drums that are properly tuned and suited to A further dimension is the imaginative and transformative power of bread and soccer balls out of thin air and The Makishi emerge from the underworld at each likishi dance. Traditional Sinhalese . presents them to his audience. With his celebration as performance and display, embodied in costumes for events the time of initiation ceremonies (mukanda The use of the traditional Sinhalese sari by troop of dancers — ex combatants from all —Paola Manfredi and festivals unique to specific countries such as the Carnevale in Trinidad for the boys and wall for the girls) to instruct the late Mrs Sirimavo Bandaranaike (1917- factions and even former child combatants the young people in traditional ways, z000), the world's first female Prime Minster and Tobago. References of the RUE —he travels through the isolated techniques and beliefs. The Makishi surface led to the revival of this traditional style of 1. Ellert, Henrik. The Magic of Makishi masks jungle communities of Sierra Leone's also for the annual ceremony of the Likumbi sari by Sri Lankan women many of whom Eastern Province. His aim is to educate Suzanne Davies and Jasleen Dhamija Lya Mize. and traditions in Zambia. z. Mulenga Kapwepwe (ed.) Ceremony? had previously adopted western dress. about the dangers of HIV/AIDS through CelebratingZambia's cultural heritage. Lusaka. song, dance, magic and the spoken word, and to demonstrate true reconciliation. — Dave Tacon, Freetown, 25 March zoos 4 PAPUA NEW GUINEA NIGERIA Egainglin, the Ancestral Masquerades Embroidered Hausa or Nupe, MALAYSIA Pua Kumbha, Head Hunters' Blanket, of the Yoruba People Agabada/Boubou robe, Nigeria. than, Sarawak, Malaysia, zoth Century. Cotton Women's cloth- dance skirt. Documentation of three performances Men's Sarong, caw°, Trengannu, The society of the living must maintain a Early zoth Century, 151 x 210cm (Mt. 220 X106.5 C01 Orokaiva People of oro Province, OR DVD, 199 z and 1993 Malaysia, and with metallic harmonious relationship with the powerful Private collection of Mrs Amrita Malkani Collection: Edric Ong, Malaysia. Papua New Guinea. Performance of Classical Yoruba Dances thread, 206 X 205. CM. world of the dead. It is the task of the Egli/wan Bark cloth painted with natural in the Alarin's Palace December 1992 The voluminous robe with deep sleeves Collection: Powerhouse Museum, Cotton Aar head hunters' cloth woven by society to maintain this relationship. When a plant dye,176.6 x log cm. Duration: i8 mins 35 sec known as Agabada/Boubou is worn by Sydney, Australia experienced women weavers on the back strap Collection: Mr Harold Gallasch, Baba Lek and Family perform man has serious problems in his life- illness powerful and highly respected Muslim loom. This was the powerful cloth used by South Australia. in Nike's Compound December 1992 or death in the family, failure of his crops men of Northern Nigeria. The patterns are Royal Malay Songket women to receive the hunted heads from the - the oracle priest may tell him that he has Duration: 13 mins 47 secs drawn by Koranic scholars and convey to are a rich and luxurious fabric returning warriors. The women have a rich 3 Baba Lebes Arinjil perform for the AtaMa neglected his ancestors. The man will then the knowledgeable the significance and repertoire of motifs with symbolic significance PAKISTAN demonstrating the social hierarchy of ofOsogbo in Front of his PalaceDecember too3 make an Evilly& costume, that must cover meaning of the embroidery, and to everyone and they dream the design of the cloth that the entire body of the dancer. Sometimes Malay elite. The art was cultivated and used Brocaded Man's sash / turban cloth. Duration: 26 mins 5S secs the power wielded by those who wear them. almost exclusively by Malayan aristocracy they have to weave. It is this dream that they Courtesy of Ulli & Georgina Beier the dancer will carry a carved wooden mask. Most of these robes have a sweeping spiral create by tying the pattern directly onto the Late 19th century Strips of brightly coloured textiles will until its popularisation in the 198os. It is Kalat, Baluchistan, Pakistan. at the back, which links it to the cabbalistic warp thread and dye in the multiple colours. Pelete bite or Men's wrapper. hang on the costume, that flare out when most likely songket was brought Multi-coloured silk and gold patterns. Coromandel Coast; early zoth century the dancer turns. The head of the Egungun to the Malaysian Peninsular through Shaman's wrapper, lban, Sarawak, Malaysia. wrapped thread for the Kalabari people of . society will then assign a dancer who will Ritual Hausa Blanket, intermarriages between royal families - Cotton //cattle-dyed on the warp and woven Collection: Mohatta Palace Museum, Cotton, yam-dyed and woven; carry the mask. Nigeria, Mid 20th Century a common practice used in the fifteenth on a back-strap loom by Than women. Karachi, Pakistan drawn-cut-thread pattern, Each Egtingan mask has its own annual 241 x 152 cm century to seal strategic alliances. Royal 235 x 50.5cm. Collection: Edric Ong, Malaysia. women were able to bring with them their This traditional fungi commissioned by 1.82. X 90 cm festival, when the mask dances through the Private collection of Mrs Amrita Malkani. TAPI Collection, Surat, India town, accompanied by a group of dancers. personal weavers employed as entourages The cotton ikat shaman's cloth has the the ruling Baluchi chieftains of Kalat is This typical woollen blanket is woven on from India and Arabia. Once stationed in powerful pattern tie-dyed on the warp and worn in a number of ways; tied around the The dancer will go into a trance, when he Pelete bite were powerful ritual cloths used the vertical loom by Hausa men in northern Malaysia, weavers were encouraged to draw woven on a back-strap loom by Than women. head, across the chest or fastened around will become the ancestor he represents. The by the Kalabari people inhabiting the Niger Nigeria. The patterns in black are woven upon the influx of luxury goods reaching The women originally spun the thread, dyed the waist. It is usually worn on ceremonial dances are extremely energetic. The dancer Delta in south-eastern Nigeria. The basic with extra weft and carry important motifs. the local trade port of Melaka during the it with vegetable dyes after tying & the occasions and presented as a gift to ack- may stand absolutely still one moment, fabric is a -dyed cotton cloth woven in A popular motif is of two inverted triangles, period. Fine silk, gold thread and brocade threads to create the pattern. This powerful nowledge rank and authority within the surrounded by his drummers. Then he will the Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh in which symbolizes the stand for the Koran became incorporated into fabric. European wrapper represents the power of the Naga, the tribal hierarchy. suddenly burst forth with wild power, so the Coromandel Coast and exported from that the drummers must back away quickly. used by the priests, teachers and students as colonisation across the region in the snake God. the colonial port of Fort St. George (present- they recite from the holy text. sixteenth century introduced the frame loom Choga, Pakistan Often a group of young women follow the Than People, Borneo, Malaysia Hand spun with embroidery day Chennai) in Tamil Nadu to Nigeria. mask. They are descendants of the deceased with Malay weavers adding to the loom a fine Adlre Eleka, Resist Worked Fabric, comb, allowing warps to be passed through With a population estimated at 55o,000 the 156 X 200 CM The checked pattern known as Real ancestors and pray that he will bless them so Than live largely in Sarawak. They are the that they may give birth to many children. Yoruba, Nigeria, Mid zoth Century. and separated but kept evenly spaced. The Collection: Mr Sumant Dhamija, Handkerchief (RMH) is painstakingly Indigo dyed resist cotton cloth. largest of Malaysia's indigenous peoples and, Delhi, India modified method made it was much easier to transformed by the Kalabari women by Egtingun masks may be centuries old. ' 195 X173 cm set up a plain silk warp and create patterns in an earlier era, were feared as headhunters. drawing the lighter colour threads from Choga, Pakistan Generations of dancers succeed each other Private collection of Mrs Amrita Malkani. with gold weft thread woven between the They were mistakenly named 'Sea Dayak' sections of the weft and cutting them to by the British who came into contact with Hand spun wool with embroidery to carry the costume and to personify their longitudinal silk threads of the background make patterns with a blade. This creates an ancestor. They will constantly work on their This ritual cotton cloth dyed in indigo is them in the 184os, at which time many were 138 X 210 cloth. Royal court weavers would produce interesting colour variation, which is like prepared by Yoruba women. It is painted involved in coastal piracy with the Malays. Collection: Mr Sumant Dhamija, costume, adding new and brighter strips individualised motifs often designed by the Mat. The resulting cloth came to be called of cloth or sometimes leather. Once a year, with cassava paste as a resist and dyed Delhi, India wearers themselves. The than refer to themselves by the name pelete bite or cloth", associated with their with natural indigo. A typical AdireElelto during the king's Eglingtin festival all the of the longhouse village or river where Robes of Honour, Chogas, Northern distinct cultural identity as well as with the masks in the town will come out at once. is built up in squares. The painted starch During the reign of Sultan Muhammad Shah mythological beings Ow amekaso and Mast- is created with the use of a quill on half of (1426-1446), the royal court controlled the they reside. They have no cover term for Western Frontier Province (Undivided There may be thirty of forty masks, each all Than. The common lban settlement is a the Tortoise. with its own orchestra of drummers, with the cloth, the other side is then folded over textile trade.A preference for 'Malay Attire' India), Pakistan, end of 19th or early zoth single longhouse composed of four to fifty century These robes of honour were the lead drummers on their talking drums and pressed down so that two sides adhere was established amongst Malay royals and Garment & headpiece. Fabrics with mussels, independent family units that are called bilek hand-woven with hand-spun wool and reciting the poetic names of the ancestors. together and the same pattern emerges elite by the Shah, who refused to emulate sequins & mixed media, c ilio xffio cm x families. The bilek family is small, ranging hand-embroidery. They were used by the For many hours the masks will storm in when dyed. The starch does not resist the foreign clothing. The symbolism of thread 30 cm. from three to fourteen members. The bilek local chieftans and royalty of the area. different directions across the open space in dye completely, and the effect is of the colour signifying status and title has been in Haus der Volker / Gert Chesi Private family is the status-conferring group and as On special occasions they were presented front of the palace, while the music of the resist area becoming light blue, while the use ever since. White gold thread signifies Collection, background is a darker blue. This design is the ruler, yellow is the colour of the crown such children are named after grandparents, to special visitors to honour them. This different orchestras merges into a complex thus providing continuity with ancestors and Austria pattern of cross rhythms. called the Alakun, sea goddess pattern. prince, and violet blue denotes the prime Choga was presented by Sultan Murad identification with the kin group. Among the Khan, ruler of Ishakoman, Gilgit District minister. Black is the coloured used in court Garment & headpiece. Fabrics decorated with Finally thegear/gin masks will spread out Ruler's crown, Nigeria (Yoruba crown) representing commoners. status-conscious Iban, these names provide bordering Tajikistan and the Pamirs to mussels, sequins St mixed media, across the town, dancing from compound Go x 40 x 4o cm links with their illustrious forebears. the late Ambassador, J. N. Dhamij a, the ci8o x ffiocm X 30cm. Haus der Vfilker to compound, praying for the people and Ray Hughes Collection, Sydney, Australia In order to preserve the original lustre and Political Officer in the area, in 1946. The Gert Chest Private Collection, Austria blessing them. quality of the songket, a large cowry shell is King's costume: The Persalinan &du melayu second Choga of hand-woven wool with used to polish the cloth before gold thread songket worn by His Majesty Sultan Haji hand embroidery was presented by Shah Garment & headpiece. Fabrics with — Ulli Beier Is woven into the piece. Sachets of cloves Ahmad Shah Al-Mustaln Billah ibni Wall Khan, famous for having defeated the mussels, sequins and mixed media. wrapped in tissue paper and slipped between Al-Marhum Sultan Abu Bakar Blayatuddin British Army at South Waziristan (Pakistan) c i8o x 190 cm x 30cm. Haus der Volker / folds is a time-honoured technique used to Al-Mu'adzam Shah for royal ceremonies. to late Ambassador, J. N. Dhamij a. Gert Chesi. Private Collection, Austria keep away insects. The practice imbues the Songket with jong sarat pattern and potong songket with an aromatic scent. wank motif in the royal colour (purple). Collection of the Royal Sultan Abu Bakar Museum of Pahang, Malaysia. 6 GHANA CANADA Cedar Cloak Vancover Island. Baluchar Brocaded Silk Sari, Bangladesh, late Mr Cotten -age yo - llandowick' Cinnamon and roses Cedar bark, 48.5 x 43 x 4.5 cm 18th/early igth Century. This sari depicts Goulbwhe (GoulbunOTribe. Sara LINDSAY, Australia Kente cloth as worn by PresidentKwame Wealth of the Tsimshiarz, (999 On loan Courtesy of Museum Victoria colonial rulers, most likely the British, in The oldest Aboriginal in the Colony, t866 Mixed media construction, woven tapestry Nkrumah of Ghana. Handwoven cotton, William WHITE the outer border of the pal/u, riding on Carl WALTER Cinnamon sticks, rose petals, , , 340 x an cm. Private collection Merino wool, beaver fur. 36.4 x z6 cm Haida dance apron 2002. elephants and horses in a show of power. In Alubumen silver photograph, (dyed with tea and turmeric), cotton, Made for traditional purposes and in use by Leather, , mother of pearl, buttons, the inner border, there are depictions of rajas 44 x 54 cm Kente cloth as worn by President Kwame silk, 38 x 449 cm. the White family until it was presented to feathers, beads, 97 It yo cm. with their wazirs, smoking hookah in the Courtesy of the State Library of Victoria, Nkrumah of Ghana. Collection of the artist the head chief of their tribe chief Marvin Collection: High Commission of Canada, traditional manner. The central design is the Melbourne, Australia Handwoven cotton, 312 x 203 cm. Wesley (Chief La'as) of the Git-wil-gyoots, Canberra, Australia traditional, mango kalka. Collection: Crafts Tomato Dreaming Private collection Canada. Private collection, Canada. Museum, Delhi, India. Ankerre Akhganentye (Emu Dreaming), 1988 Jean PWERLE Chilkat blankets were woven using Emily KAME NGWARRAY Asafofiag BANGLADESH on silk, 235 x 117 cm mountain goat wool and cedar bark, Baluchar Brocaded Silk Sari, Bangladesh, late Silk batik, 132.5 x 33z cm The Janet Holmes a Court Collection, Cotton applique. 104.5 x 158.5 cm a specialty of the Chilkat tribe, whose 08th/early 19th Century. The Janet Holmes a Court Collection, Collection: Ray Hughes Gallery, Sydney, Kantha, Perth, Australia territory ran across the mouth of the Chilkat Collection: Crafts Museum, Delhi, India. Perth, Australia Australia Bangladesh, early zoth Century. River in southeast Alaska. Traditionally, Quilted, embroidered wrap, cotton. These silk brocaded carried pictorial Emu feather skirt, zmo This batik is by the famous desert artist, Asafo flag only the powerful could make or own a Collection: Crafts Museum, Delhi, India. patterns on the large pattern - cross border. Marlene SCERRI Emily Kame Kngwarreye. In 1980, the Emu feathers tied with sinews or European Cotton appliqué.151.5 X 86.5 cm prized Chilkat Blanket, the completion of The saris depict the Portuguese merchants Aboriginal women of Utopia had their first string,132.5 IC 30 cm Collection: Ray Hughes Gallery, Sydney, one taking a full year of hard work. Men Kanthas are traditionally made from recycled and soldiers, who were the earliest settlers exhibition of textiles in Alice Springs. The Australia provided goat hides for wool, designed the cotton garments such as and saris in Bengal. The saris have a central motif Collection: EMIT Gallery, Melbourne, pattern, and made the pattern board and quilted together using a miming stitch. of curvilinear kalka pattern with pictorial works commonly featured a variety of bush Australia Asafo Company No i of Gomoa Efutu loom. Chilkat women gathered cedar bark The coloured threads from the borders of scenes surrounding it. They depict soldiers foods as well as powerful representations of Made of bunches of emu feathers tied with area in Ghana, We are ready for you whichever and prepared the yarn to weave the blanket. the original garments are used by women to marching, merchants seated in carriages and women's ritual life such as the distinctive way you come embroider. The designs express their beliefs, even in boats. body designs. The work here relates to the sinews or European string. The apron was worn by women in the Melbourne area Dated prior to independence in 1957 Woven using a method unique to native hopes and dreams. Kantha can be used artist's country, Allalgara. Americans, the blanket took form on a during dancing. Shorter ones were worn Cotton. 102 X155 cm variously as wraps, throws, quilts, bed covers, AUSTRALIA Kangaroo Tooth Necklace (Women's) by young women, while the longer ones Collection: Nubuki Foundation, Ghana "warp weighted" or single bar" loom, and scarves, though they were originally consisting of two standing poles and a cross Maree CLARICE provided a level of modesty required by intended for new born babies. The old Mat or skirt, marrabadj Asafo Company No of Gornoa Efutu area bar. The warp threads, suspended from a 140 x go cm married women. Emu feather aprons were cloths were taken from those who had lived Modjeh grass, zo5.5 x144.5 x 16 cm in Ghana, We are like the double tailed beast strip of moose hide, were hung from the On loan courtesy of Museum Victoria, being made in the 186os in western Victoria fierce righteous and long lives, in order to preserve Made by women of East Alligator River, Dated prior to independence in 1957 cross bar. Long ends of the thread were Melbourne, Australia for men to wear in ceremonies and the their aura and pass it onto the children. Western Arnhem Land, Australia. Cotton / . 138 x gz cm tied into bundles, sometimes weighted tradition continues today. On loan courtesy of Museum Victoria, Kangaroo Tooth Necklace (Men's) Collection: Nubuki Foundation, Ghana with stones, giving tension to the working Nilambari Dacca/ Sari, Bangladesh, portion of the yam. The weaver usually early zoth Century. Melbourne, Australia. Maree CLARKE The asafo is a political-military institution 88 x 8.5 cm sat or kneeled in front of the loom while Collection: Crafts Museum, Delhi, India. Made from grass called modjeh (Eleocharis of the flan, Ghana. Even though the Akan Collection of the artist weaving. Blankets were woven entirely with spp.) that grows on the plains of western societies did not have a standing army A finely woven cotton sari has patterns the fingers in a process termed twinning. No Arnhem Land. Nine skirts like this one Koorrooka meerreeng (grandmother's country) the asafo was a well established social and woven in non-continuous weft in white other device was used. Two or more wefts survive and were made by women of western Vicky COUZENS political organisation based on martial and zari (gold) thread. Nilambari meaning were twisted around a single warp of yarn. Arnhem Land. They used them to wrap possum skins, waxed linen thread, ochre principles. Every able-bodied person the blue sky is associated with Krishna When the blanket was completed, a fringe them around themselves and for sitting on. and pokerwork designs. belonged to an asafo group. Every child and has multilayered meanings. The sari is was filled out by adding lengths of warp Colour is evident with pink still visible on 175 X128 automatically belonged to his or her father's usually worn during the time of Durga Puja, yam and braids around the borders. the fringe. Collection of the artist company. Internal sub-divisions within the biggest festival of the year for Bengali an individual company included the main Men designed the pattern and painted Hindus. the abstract figures on a wooden "pattern Warramirri baby 1935 Ngatuk, Possum Skin Cloak (Wamba Wamba fighting body, the scouts, reserves, and the jamdani Konia Kalga Pattern Sari, Bangladesh, D.E. THOMSON, Australia Language) 2004 minstrel unit whose main job was to sing board," producing a highly stylised art, often represented clan symbols and natural Early zoth Century. Photograph, 54 x 43.5 cm Ngarra KATYA, Murray & Mister patriotic and war songs to boost the morale of Collection: Crafts Museum, New Delhi, Courtesy of Mrs D.M. Thomson and THORPE, Ngatuk, South East Australia the military. forms in an abstract geometric pattern. Animals were portrayed as if sliced down the India. Museum Victoria Etching and burning on twenty-eight Asafo flags are popular among the Fantse sown possum skins. centre and laid out flat. As the blanket was Finely woven Jamdani Saris were greatly SkirtNganmarra 1935 of the coastal area. Symbols on the flag are two-sided, only half the pattern was painted 203 x 112 all valued throughout India. This sari has a D.F. THOMSON, Australia Collection of Mr John So, Former Lord appliqued and occasionally embroidered. in life-size dimensions. The blanket pattern delicately inlaid design of a white buti on An Asafo flag will either display the Union Photograph, 43.5 x 54 cm Mayor of Melbourne, Australia could be interpreted in a variety of ways, white background with a black corner, Courtesy of Mrs D.M. Thomson and Jack or the Ghanaian flag. A flag bearing however only the man who designed the konia, design known as the Ka/ha. This Museum Victoria No work fora white man zoos the Union Jack indicates the flag was made blanket knew the true legend. is an important motif of deep symbolic Kay LAWRENCE during the time of British colonial rule in significance. It resembles a mango, it Skirts Nganmarra 1935 Length: go cm waistband width: 45 cm / Ghana. A flag bearing the Ghanaian flag Traditional dyes for the wool yarn were could also be a plume or a tree of life. This D.F. THOMSON, Australia width at bottom of legs 6ocm Depth 2 -4 cm indicates it was made after 1957 when Ghana yellow, derived from a lichen called wolf handspun hand-woven superfine cotton Photograph, 54 x 43.5 all Mother of pearl buttons, old cream blanket, gained independence. The asafo flag with moss; dark brown, produced by boiling cloth was called by the Romans, nebula venti, Courtesy of Mrs D.M. Thomson and cotton thread, cotton tapes its symbols and colours often represents wool in urine and hemlock bark; and a woven winds, and was exported throughout Museum Victoria Collection of the artist important historical occasions in the life of greenish-blue made by boiling wool in copper and urine. By the 1890's, commercial the world. This particular sari was in great the company or unpleasant past events such demand and worn on special occasions. as wars, deaths and defeats. dyes and were also used. The warp was never dyed.

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