The African continent is home to numerous outstanding textile traditions, many dating to antiquity and all playing a multifaceted role in their respective societies: these eye-catching fabrics proclaim wealth and status, convey symbolic meanings, and of course serve a practical function in garments both ordinary and exceptional. This magnificent book conveys the amazing diversity of African textiles, from the geometric-patterned kente cloths of Ghana, to the multicolor raffia skirts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, to the beaded barkcloths once reserved for Ugandan royalty.
The authors, all leading experts in the field, examine each region of sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar in turn, elucidating the aesthetic qualities, cultural significance, and production methods of the most important textile traditions. Their authoritative text is illustrated with over 300 superlative textiles from public and private collections, many reproduced as full-page plates that allow the reader to appreciate each individual fiber.
This impressive clothbound volume will be a key reference for students and scholars, an essential sourcebook for designers, and a delight for all art lovers.
 
Table of Contents:
Introduction

West Africa, by Duncan Clarke

I
Mali

II
Senegal
Cape Verde
Guinea Bissau

III
Sierra Leone
Liberia

IV
Ivory Coast

V
Ghana

VI
Benin

VII
Nigeria
Central Africa, By Vanessa Drake Moraga

VIII
Cameroon

IX
Congo

East Africa, By Sarah Fee

X
Continental Eastern Africa

XI
Madagascar

Notes
Bibliography
Index