Country Cloth

Cloth, traditionally made from locally grown cotton that is spun into thread, dyed, and woven into strips on a tripod loom. The strips are then sewn together edge to edge to form the finished piece. Such cloth was, in the past, regarded as a sign of wealth and prestige. This example consists of thirteen strips with alternating blue and white oblongs, creating a striped effect at the top and bottom, and a chequered middle section. The edges are slightly fringed. This is one of the earliest examples of country cloth in the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery collections from Sierra Leone.

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Further Information

• Type: Textiles, cloth
• Object: Country Cloth
• Materials: Textile
• Culture Group: Mende
• Dimensions: 1430mm [W] x 3390mm [L]
• Production Date: Pre1899
• Associated Places: Unknown
• Associated People: Thomas Joshua Alldridge (Collector)
• Museum: Brighton Museum and Art Gallery
• Accession Number: BMAG:WA506708

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