Preamble
For your convenience I have listed below other posts in this series:
Diversity of African Textiles
African Textiles: West Africa
Stripweaves (West Africa) - Part I
Stripweaves (West Africa) - Part II
Stripweaves (West Africa) - Part III
Stripweaves (West Africa) - Part IV
Djerma Weaving of Niger and Burkina-Faso
Woolen Stripweaves of the Niger Bend
Nigerian Horizontal - Loom Weaving
Yoruba Lace Weave
Nigerian Women's Vertical Looms
The Supplementary Weft Cloths of Ijebu-Ode and Akwete
African Tie and Dye
Tie and Dye of the Dida, Ivory Coast
African Stitch Resist
Yoruba Stitch Resist
Introduction[1]
The Mande weavers of Sierra Leone and Liberia are reputed to be some of the first to use the strip weaving technique. They were certainly the first people in littoral West Africa to convert to Islam and it is possible that the strip weaving technique and Islam spread hand in hand eastwards from there.
Mandigo traders, Liberia.
Although the Mende (a sub-group of Mande) and other weavers of the region weave multi-colored cloths, their most famous cloths are relatively austere creations in black and white.
Mende girl, Sierra Leone.
Much has been destroyed in the vicious civil wars that have afflicted the region, but the weavers are once again starting to use their tripod looms.
Mende master-weaver working at his tripod loom (Bo, Sierra Leone).
The use of a tripod loom is unique to Sierra Leone and Liberia. As with most looms in the stripweaving genre, it is portable, an essential attribute in a region, where the population is scattered and the weaver has to take himself to his work. He is paid in kind, often in foodstuffs that he consumes on the spot. As observed in the town of Bo, the Mende weaver stretches out his warps 9-12 meters (30-40 feet) long, wound around two end batons that are tied to two stakes. He then commences work beneath the shade of a large tree or house. What is unique in this method is that the mechanical parts of the loom move along the warp as the weaving process progresses, rather than being in a fixed position (with the weaver winding on the finished web round a beam and drawing the unwoven thread towards him). The twin sets of heddles of the loom are suspended from the tripod. Leashes run down from them through the warps to two foot treadles that are merely short, stout sticks inserted into loops at the end of the leashes. The reed/beater lies on the warps and is equiped with a handle. As the weaver progresses, the reed and the tripod with its heddles, leashes and treadles merely moves down the warps. When enough cloth has been woven to complete the commissioned cloth, the weaver moves on to a new location.
Stripweaves(West Africa) - Part II[1]
Limbe boy's stripwoven cotton smock (Sierra Leone).
Kpokpo prestige hanging, stripwoven on a tripod loom, Vai or Mende people (Sierra Leone).
Chequered cotton country cloth woven on a tripod loom (Sierra Leone).
Chief's stripwoven hammock, Mende (Sierra Leone).
Note: Before roads were built, a common form of conveyance was a litter or hammock carried by four strong men.
Country cloth woven on a tripod loom with supplementary weft motifs of birds and geometrical devices from Sierra Leone or Liberia.
Reference
[1] J. Gillow, African Textiles, Thames & Hudson Ltd, London (2003).
For your convenience I have listed below other posts in this series:
Diversity of African Textiles
African Textiles: West Africa
Stripweaves (West Africa) - Part I
Stripweaves (West Africa) - Part II
Stripweaves (West Africa) - Part III
Stripweaves (West Africa) - Part IV
Djerma Weaving of Niger and Burkina-Faso
Woolen Stripweaves of the Niger Bend
Nigerian Horizontal - Loom Weaving
Yoruba Lace Weave
Nigerian Women's Vertical Looms
The Supplementary Weft Cloths of Ijebu-Ode and Akwete
African Tie and Dye
Tie and Dye of the Dida, Ivory Coast
African Stitch Resist
Yoruba Stitch Resist
Introduction[1]
The Mande weavers of Sierra Leone and Liberia are reputed to be some of the first to use the strip weaving technique. They were certainly the first people in littoral West Africa to convert to Islam and it is possible that the strip weaving technique and Islam spread hand in hand eastwards from there.
Although the Mende (a sub-group of Mande) and other weavers of the region weave multi-colored cloths, their most famous cloths are relatively austere creations in black and white.
Much has been destroyed in the vicious civil wars that have afflicted the region, but the weavers are once again starting to use their tripod looms.
The use of a tripod loom is unique to Sierra Leone and Liberia. As with most looms in the stripweaving genre, it is portable, an essential attribute in a region, where the population is scattered and the weaver has to take himself to his work. He is paid in kind, often in foodstuffs that he consumes on the spot. As observed in the town of Bo, the Mende weaver stretches out his warps 9-12 meters (30-40 feet) long, wound around two end batons that are tied to two stakes. He then commences work beneath the shade of a large tree or house. What is unique in this method is that the mechanical parts of the loom move along the warp as the weaving process progresses, rather than being in a fixed position (with the weaver winding on the finished web round a beam and drawing the unwoven thread towards him). The twin sets of heddles of the loom are suspended from the tripod. Leashes run down from them through the warps to two foot treadles that are merely short, stout sticks inserted into loops at the end of the leashes. The reed/beater lies on the warps and is equiped with a handle. As the weaver progresses, the reed and the tripod with its heddles, leashes and treadles merely moves down the warps. When enough cloth has been woven to complete the commissioned cloth, the weaver moves on to a new location.
Stripweaves(West Africa) - Part II[1]
Note: Before roads were built, a common form of conveyance was a litter or hammock carried by four strong men.
Reference
[1] J. Gillow, African Textiles, Thames & Hudson Ltd, London (2003).
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