Cloth

Vervaardiging: Kadiato Kamara Sierra Leone · 1982

Blue and purple cloth with a white expansion motif (see M6-46). White lines run on a predominantly blue background, forming a 45 degree angle with the sides of the cloth. The damask used for this lapa (see M6-48) is double wide, so that the lapa has no seam, which adds to its quality. Damask itself has a pattern woven into it, in this case a rectangular block. Therefore, the lapa actually has two patterns: one woven, one dyed. \The patch is knotted and dyed the same as 5212-2. They were made simultaneously to avoid differences. Mrs. Kamara ( Wahlman 1974, ch. 1 and Reinhardt 1976) dyed these rags in early 1982. The pattern Skwaya Susu (see M6-47) was knotted by Alpha. First Alpha folded the cloth in half. Then he used a piece of charcoal to indicate where the pattern should be. On the marked lines he used a needle to thread the fabric with regular, even stitches. Then he pulled the thread tight and secured it. After he had tied off all the lines in this way, Mrs. Kamara dyed the rags with synthetic paint. This paint must be dissolved in hot water with caustic soda and sodium hydrosulfite. The paint is not only hot, but it also bites because of the soda. She applied the paint with a broom (see M6-46).