Commemorative cloth

Description

Length of cotton cloth with a blue printed design commissioned by the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria to commemorate the centenary of the arrival in Calabar of Scottish missionary Mary Slessor: Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, 1976

Museum reference

V.2015.19

Collection

World Culture

Object name

Commemorative cloth

Production information

Nigeria, Western Africa

Date

1976 - 2015

Materials

Cotton

Physical description

A cut length of factory cotton cloth produced in Nigeria and worn as a wrapper (iro) by women in Nigeria or tailored into a garment. This pattern was comissioned by the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria to commemorate the centenary of the arrival in Calabar of Scottish missionary Mary Slessor 1876-1976. On a deep blue background is a central repeating pattern featuring an oval portrait with an interlocking leaf pattern border. The repeating portrait features the head and shoulders of a European woman holding a young African child in each arm on a white background. All are wearing European style collar and buttoned blouses. The figures represent Mary Slessor and the local twin children whose treatment and civil rights she worked to improve. The oval is bordered with the logo in gold ‘CENTENARY CELEBRATION OF MARY SLESSOR 1876-1976’ and ‘THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF NIGERIA’. Upper and lower selvedges have a repeat pattern of the gold interlocking heart motifs. Along the lower edge is printed ‘*VERITABLE WAX*’ and on the upper edge the company logo and design number ‘WAZOBIA WAX KAS1607*’. The short edges are unhemmed.

Associations

Slessor, Mary, 1848 - 1915
Presbyterian Church of Nigeria