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Last updated: 21 March 2022
One of the sights that really strikes you in many African countries is the wide spread use of mass produced brightly coloured printed cloths: worn as wrappers, used as baby carriers, to transport provisions and always visible in some use or another. It is a practical, low cost and available example of creativity, social comment and a highly visible expression of material culture worn every day, and to celebrate special occasions.
Amongst the primarily floral and geometric multi coloured designs are a significant category of designs commissioned by political, religious and non- governmental groups as promotional material to be distributed or sold to the public. There are also cloths commissioned to commemorate famous people and events. These cloths, known as commemorative textiles or cloths are a highly visible expression of shared community identity and concerns.
Sarah Worden, Senior Curator of the African collections between 2007 and 2022, carried out a number of research activities as part of the ongoing development of the African textile collections through fieldwork and donations during this period.
Header image: Commemorative cloth with photographic portraits of Princess Diana: Africa, Southern Africa, Mozambique, 1994-2000.
Project title
African Commemorative Textiles Project with Edinburgh College of Art
Project active
2016 - 2017
Research theme
Scotland's Material Heritage
Dr Sarah Worden - Senior Curator, African Collections
National Museums Scotland
Lindy Richardson - Programme Director, Textiles
Edinburgh College of Art
Cotton cloth printed to commemorate Nigerian Independence: Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, 1960.
Cotton cloth printed to celebrate first President Kaunda of Zambia following Independence in 1964: Africa, Southern Africa, Zambia, 1964.
Cotton cloth printed to celebrate Christmas: Africa, Southern Africa, Mozambique, c.1994.
Cotton cloth printed with the Virgin Mary, commemorating the Catholic faith: Africa, Southern Africa, Zambia, Lusaka, 2010.
Cotton cloth printed for The Forum for Democracy and Development political party: Africa, Southern Africa, Zambia, 2001.
Cotton cloth commissioned by the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian to commemorate 150 years since the arrival of Scottish missionary David Livingstone in Malawi: Africa, Southern Africa, Malawi, 2009.
Cotton cloth printed to raise awareness of urban road signs: Africa, Southern Africa, Mozambique, c.1994.
Cotton cloth printed with map of Africa surrounded by the National flags of Africa: Africa, Southern Africa, Mozambique, 1994-2000.
Cotton cloth printed to celebrate and support Nigeria and Cameroon in the World Cup 1994: Africa, Southern Africa, Mozambique, 1994.
Cotton cloth printed to commemorate issue of new bank notes: Africa, Southern Africa, Mozambique, 1991.
Cotton cloth printed with a representation of the Last Supper with Jesus and the twelve apostles, commemorating the Christian faith: Africa, Southern Africa, Mozambique, c.1994.
Cotton cloth printed with the national flag of Mozambique: Africa, Southern Africa, Mozambique, c.1994.
Cotton cloth printed to commemorate Zambian participation in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations: Africa, Central Africa, Zambia, 2012.
Cloth commissioned as political campaign cloth by the People's Party: Africa, Southern Africa, Malawi, 2014.
Cotton cloth commissioned by the Catholic Women Organisation in Malawi: Africa, Southern Africa, Malawi, 2014.
Cotton cloth printed to commemorate Mother’s Day: Africa, Southern Africa, Malawi, 2013.
Cotton cloth printed to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of Republic of Malawi: Africa, Southern Africa, Malawi, Blantyre, 1986.
Cotton cloth printed to commemorate 'Nigeria100', marking the centenary of the merger between Northern and Southern Nigeria: Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, 2014.
Cotton cloth commissioned by the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria to commemorate the centenary of the arrival of Scottish missionary Mary Slessor in Calabar: Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, 1976.
Cotton cloth printed to commemorate the formation of the Republic of Malawi: Africa, Southern Africa, Malawi, 1966.
Cotton cloth printed to commemorate the formation of the Republic of Malawi: Africa, Southern Africa, Malawi, 1966.
Cotton cloth printed to commemorate the centenary of The World Day of Prayer: Africa, Southern Africa, Malawi, 1997.
One innovative project between Edinburgh School of Art and the Museum used this growing collection of printed cloths as a source of inspiration for 2nd year textile design students to each create a length of their own design printed cotton commemorative style cloth. In October 2016, thirteen students, with Programme Director Lindy Richardson, made a visit to the National Museums Collection Centre, where they were introduced to a range of cloths, most collected from Malawi and Mozambique.
ECA students at the National Museums Collection Centre studying the African cloths, October 2016.
The project aim was to create their own unique design to reflect their personal preoccupations and interests with contemporary, social issues ranging from famous individuals to events of the day. The students did not disappoint! A rich and varied range of designs with powerful messages were created, which they transferred to the cloth.
A selection of cloths designed for the project.
The students then made the cloth into simple garments with ECA designer Niki Taylor, using zero waste pattern cutting techniques. They also created 3D accessories created as a result of an initiative with the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh. A selection of these highly original garments was shown on the catwalk of the ECA annual fashion show, held in NMS Grand Gallery in 2017.
Syrian refugees and homelessness by Jane Teed
William Shakespeare by Sophie Fields
Raif Badawi, imprisoned for critical blogging, by Scott Young
The King of Thailand by Pangjee Punyashthiti
The Kim Kardashian robbery by Molly-Mae Briskett-Haigh
Scotland’s endangered wildlife by Laurie Grant
The way I dress is not a yes protest by Katherine Dalton
Syrian people and their journey by sea, Freda Dubb
Child refugees and family separation by Francesca Smythe
Endangered animals of the world by Erica McClure
Celebrity culture by Eilidh Currie
Destruction of buildings and artefacts in Syria by Claudine Stallworthy-Stiles
Equality and diversity by Amy Jackson
Commemorating the Beatles by Amelia Price
President of the United States, Donald Trump by Alisha Hunt
This collaborative project was an opportunity to engage new audiences with contemporary African arts, creating links across cultures and introducing the Museum’s African collections as an inspirational resource for students and researchers of material creativity. To find out more about this project see S. Worden & L. Richardson, ‘Communicating through cloth: From Malawi to Scotland, inspiring creative content in contemporary textile design across cultures’ in Journal of Museum Ethnography, no. 31 (March 2018), pp. 129–148.
Dr Margaret Maitland
