Woman’s Mantle (Bakhnoug)

late 19th–early 20th century

African Art

On view, 1st floor, African Art

Berber textiles are woven and dyed by the women in the community. Shawls such as this one were left undyed, or dyed red, black, or blue according to the wearer’s age: white for very young girls, red for young women, and black or blue for older women. The ends of the textile were first dipped in red dye, then tied with stones or grains, and finally immersed in an indigo bath, which resulted in a fine circle motif. The bakhnoug is meant to be worn like a tent, to protect the head and shoulders from the sun.

Medium

Wool weave with cotton brocade, subsequently dyed

Dimensions

80 × 51 in. (203.2 × 129.54 cm)

Credit Line

Leonard C. Hanna, Jr., Class of 1913, Fund

Accession Number

2016.86.6

Geography

Jebel Nefousa Mountain Range, Libya

Culture

Berber

Period

19th–20th century

Classification

Textiles

Disclaimer

Note: This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect the Yale University Art Gallery’s complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of records is ongoing.

Provenance
Purchased by Renate Anna Menzel (menzel Galerie Nordafrika), Austria, from an European collector, 2001; Yale University Art Gallery purchased from Renate Anna Menzel (menzel Galerie Nordafrika) in 2016
Bibliography
  • Cynthia Becker, "Amazigh Woven Textiles at Yale: Visual Expressions of Berber Women's Creativity and Inventiveness," in "Recent Acquisitions," special issue, Yale University Art Gallery Bulletin (2017), 39, fig. 5
  • "Acquisitions July 1, 2015–June 30, 2016," Yale University Art Gallery Bulletin: Online Supplement (accessed December 1, 2016), 3
Object copyright
Copyright Undetermined
Additional information

Object/Work type

mantle, shawls, textile materials, textiles

Subject

women

Technical metadata and APIs

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