Chitenge
A kitenge or chitenge (pl. vitenge Swahili; zitenge in Tonga) is an East African, West African and Central African piece of fabric similar to a sarong, often worn by women and wrapped around the chest or waist, over the head as a headscarf, or as a baby sling. Kitenges are made of colorful fabric that contains a variety of patterns and designs. In coastal area of Kenya and in Tanzania, kitenges often have Swahili sayings written on them. Kitenges are similar to kangas and kikoi, but are of a thicker cloth and have an edging on only a long side. Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Sudan, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Senegal, Liberia, Rwanda, and Democratic Republic of the Congo are some of the African countries where the kitenge is worn. In Malawi the garment is known as a and in Namibia and some parts of Zambia it is a ''chitenge''. They are sometimes worn by men around the waist in hot weather. In Malawi, kitenges did not used to be worn by men until recently, when the president encouraged ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Kitenge
A kitenge or chitenge (pl. vitenge Swahili; zitenge in Tonga) is an East African, West African and Central African piece of fabric similar to a sarong, often worn by women and wrapped around the chest or waist, over the head as a headscarf, or as a baby sling. Kitenges are made of colorful fabric that contains a variety of patterns and designs. In coastal area of Kenya and in Tanzania, kitenges often have Swahili sayings written on them. Kitenges are similar to kangas and kikoi, but are of a thicker cloth and have an edging on only a long side. Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Sudan, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Senegal, Liberia, Rwanda, and Democratic Republic of the Congo are some of the African countries where the kitenge is worn. In Malawi the garment is known as a and in Namibia and some parts of Zambia it is a ''chitenge''. They are sometimes worn by men around the waist in hot weather. In Malawi, kitenges did not used to be worn by men until recently, when the president encouraged ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Sarong
A sarong or sarung () is a large tube or length of fabric, often wrapped around the waist, worn in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, Northern Africa, East Africa, West Africa, and on many Pacific islands. The fabric often has woven plaid or checkered patterns, or may be brightly colored by means of batik or ikat dyeing. Many modern sarongs have printed designs, often depicting animals or plants. Different types of sarongs are worn in different places in the world, notably the lungi in the Indian subcontinent and the izaar in the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The term ''sarong'' () is an English loanword of Malay origin meaning 'to cover' or 'to sheath'. It was first used in 1834 referring to the skirt-like garment of the Malay. ''Sarong'' is also the colloquial and old spelling of the Indonesian and Malay word for , while in formal Indonesian it is known as ().Sarongis known in many names across Asia; including , ; , ; ; and . In West Africa, the word ''srong'' or '' ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and Togo in the east.Jackson, John G. (2001) ''Introduction to African Civilizations'', Citadel Press, p. 201, . Ghana covers an area of , spanning diverse biomes that range from coastal savannas to tropical rainforests. With nearly 31 million inhabitants (according to 2021 census), Ghana is the List of African countries by population, second-most populous country in West Africa, after Nigeria. The capital and List of cities in Ghana, largest city is Accra; other major cities are Kumasi, Tamale, Ghana, Tamale, and Sekondi-Takoradi. The first permanent state in present-day Ghana was the Bono state of the 11th century. Numerous kingdoms and empires emerged over the centuries, of which the most powerful were the Kingdom of Dagbon in the north and ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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African Wax Prints
African wax prints, Dutch wax prints or Ankara, are omnipresent and common materials for clothing in West Africa and Central Africa. They were introduced to West and Central Africans by Dutch merchants during the 19th century, who took inspiration from native Indonesian technique and Akwete cloth designs. They began to adapt their designs and colours to suit the tastes of the African market. They are industrially produced colourful cotton cloths with batik-inspired printing. One feature of these materials is the lack of difference in the colour intensity of the front and back sides. The wax fabric can be sorted into categories of quality due to the processes of manufacturing. Normally, the fabrics are sold in lengths of as "full piece" or as "half piece". The colours comply with local preferences of the customers. Typically, clothing for celebrations is made from this fabric. Wax prints are a type of nonverbal communication among African women, and thereby carry their messa ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Shweshwe
Shweshwe () is a printed dyed cotton fabric widely used for traditional Southern African clothing. Originally dyed indigo, the fabric is manufactured in a variety of colours and printing designs characterised by intricate geometric patterns. Due to its popularity, shweshwe has been described as the denim, or tartan, of South Africa. Name The local name ''shweshwe'' is derived from the fabric's association with Lesotho's King Moshoeshoe I, also spelled "Moshweshwe". Moshoeshoe I was gifted with the fabric by French missionaries in the 1840s and subsequently popularised it. It is also known as ''sejeremane'' or ''seshoeshoe'' in Sotho as well as ''terantala'' (derived from Afrikaans tarentaal), and ''ujamani'' in Xhosa, after 19th century German and Swiss settlers who imported the ''blaudruck'' ("blue print") fabric for their clothing and helped entrench it in South African and Basotho culture. Uses Shweshwe is traditionally used to make dresses, skirts, aprons and wraparound c ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Batik Batik is an Indonesian technique of wax-resist dyeing applied to the whole cloth. This technique originated from the island of Java, Indonesia. Batik is made either by drawing dots and lines of the resist with a spouted tool called a ''canting'', or by printing the resist with a copper stamp called a ''cap''. The applied wax resists dyes and therefore allows the artisan to colour selectively by soaking the cloth in one colour, removing the wax with boiling water, and repeating if multiple colours are desired. Batik is an ancient art form of Indonesia made with wax resistant dye on fabrics. Indonesian coastal batik (''batik pesisir'') made in the island of Java has a history of acculturation, a mixture of native and foreign cultures. It is a newer model compared to inland batik, and it uses more colors, though the patterns are a lot less intricate. This is because inland batik used to be made by select experts living in palace areas, while coastal batik can be made by anyon ... |