Judaic Threads in the West African Tapestry: No More Forever?

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  • Author(s): Prussin, Labelle
  • Source:
    Art Bulletin. Jun2006, Vol. 88 Issue 2, p328-353. 26p.
  • Additional Information
    • Subject Terms:
      EMBROIDERY; WEAVING; TAPESTRY; AFRICAN art; INFLUENCE (Literary, artistic, etc.)
    • Subject Terms:
      WEST Africa
    • Abstract:
      The article explores the Jewish influence on the aesthetic design of West African weaving and embroidery. The isolated nature of cultures in Africa made explorations of artistic creativity in both sedentary and nomadic societies tightly based on linguistic definition and cultural affiliation. Artisans as primary agents in the diffusion of arts beyond cultural boundaries, maintain and sustain similarities in the materials and style. Those similarities might have been the result of a historical Jewish presence in the service of dominant, African political, economic and cultural entities.