Across the African continent, handwoven cloth and clothing have historically been labor-intensive creations deeply embedded in local and regional value systems. These fabrics could be endlessly adapted to communal and individual needs, variously serving to clothe the body, divide architectural space, protect the physical and spiritual wellbeing of the wearer, and convey the wealth and authority of the owner. In this volume of The Met’s acclaimed and popular How to Read series, readers are guided through forty masterworks of African fiber arts, from a dynamic nineteenth-century interior hanging from Sierra Leone to a dreamlike textile canvas by contemporary Malagasy artist Joel Andrianomearisoa. Organized geographically, the book explores the complex histories of production, consumption, and exchange attached to these extraordinary works, providing clear explanations of long-standing and newly embraced techniques and materials, as well as offering readers new ways to appreciate Africa’s diverse textile traditions.
