cloth with Queen Elizabeth II

unrecorded Hausa-Fulani artist, artist

cloth with Queen Elizabeth II, 1981

Where object was made: Kano, Nigeria

Material/technique: cotton; resist dyeing

Credit line: Gift of Professor Beverly Mack

Accession number: 2011.0239.02

Not on display

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Art and Activism: 50 Years of Africana Studies at KU

Queen Elizabeth visited Nigeria in 1952. The material for this ensemble was created 25 years later to commemorate the visit, and was available for purchase by the yard. Following Nigerian custom, Dr. Beverly Mack purchased a six-yard piece of fabric to create a complete outfit, which included a head tie, top, shoulder covering, and wrap for the lower body. The ‘tee’ form top paired with the skirt wrapper was a basic and practical design for the time and region.

The most valued material for making tailored garments was imported Dutch wax fabric. In the wax resist process, wax is applied to selected areas of the fabric in order to preserve the color beneath. During the dye process, the wax may crack and let dye into the masked-off areas, resulting in colored striations between images in the motif. The British flags on the blouse demonstrate this effect in the dark blue striations running though the gold stripes.

At the time she purchased the fabric, Dr. Mack met several Hausa women who recalled getting to see the new young queen during her visit to Kano.

Written by Jenny Welden

Power Clashing: Clothing, Collage, and Contemporary Identities

African commemorative cloths are often created to celebrate local community leaders and important politicians, or to mark historic events. These batik cloths commemorate the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II of England’s visit to Nigeria. Made after Nigeria claimed its independence from England in 1960, these cloths symbolize nearly 50 years of colonial rule through the noticeable and repeated use of the Union Jack flag and British crown. Beyond such imagery, a history of colonial relations is embedded in the manufacturing of batik cloth itself. Originally made in Indonesia, these resist-dye patterned cloths were later produced in Europe and sold to western African countries in the 19th century. Colonial powers such as England largely shaped industrialization of batik cloth and its later popularity in African markets.