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Royal tunic, Cameroon, Bamum people, 20th century.
Warp: cotton. Weft: cotton. Plain-weave, animal hair.
Resist patterned, dyed.The Textile Museum 2007.30.3.
Gift of Harry Greenberg.
This
tunic probably was worn by a member of a royal regulatory
society in the service of the sacred ruler in the Grassfields
of Cameroon in West Africa. Similarly patterned large
"display cloths" are used to demarcate royal
space on significant occasions in the numerous Bamileke
and Bamum sacred chiefdoms. Traditional display cloth
was an important part of specialist production and trade.
In
the 19th century, the cotton for the cloth was often
woven and patterned by Hausa people in northern Nigeria,
traded to the Grassfields, and then sold to Bamileke
and Bamum royalty. In 1910 some Hausa craft workers
were invited to work at the Bamum royal court. Several
innovations resulted, including the use of two shades
of blue as represented in this tunic. This court production
only lasted about ten years. The large circles on the
tunic represent kola nuts, a symbol of hospitality.
These textiles continue to receive respect in Cameroon.
A mass-produced printed version now fills the needs
of non-royalty and more mundane occasions.
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