Dida Raffia textile, Tubular Dress.
Côte d'Ivoire.
earl 20th century, cm. 99x54
These textiles are quite rare, and on the wish list of many museums because they are no longer made.
This cloth is woven from fiber gathered from the raffia palm and patterned by the tie-dye technique using hundreds of stitches to form a resist, and a series of dips and a release technique. The dyes are all natural- using plant and root dyes. The palette of yellow, red and black is derived from plant roots, leaves and minerals.
Very good condition.