I just started working on (proofreading) a beautiful book for the Getty Museum about art and plants. In it, there's a page devoted to an "adinkra dress" from Ghana, 1825, with the following explanation:
Adinkra fabric, historically reserved for spiritual leaders and royalty to wear to funerals and other such significant events, has long been the product of a collaborative relationship between plants and humans. The fabric has for centuries been made out of cotton, often dyed in pigments of red, brown, and black extracted from the boiled roots and inner bark of the badie tree (Bridelia ferruginea). The stamps are crafted from a dehydrated calabash (Lagenaria siceraria), a durable and resilient material that allows for repeated use. Originally created by the Bono people of Gyaman, these mesmerizing patterns became a staple among the Ashanti in Ghana and the Baoulé in Côte d’Ivoire. Today, adinkra cloth has been commercialized and is mass-produced for the international market. More than one hundred recurring symbols have been identified in the original adinkra production. They embody traditional wisdom, often including proverbs and/or preserving traditional belief systems.
This is the accompanying image:
It's beautiful! And of course it made me curious about all the recurring symbols. I found various iterations, such as these:
And this I love—a "Design Your Own Adinkra Symbols" study guide from the Cleveland Metropolitan School District Fab Lab, grade range 3–8:
The above extract mentions calabash stamps:
Here are some more images I found of these symbols used in textile art. I don't really have any more to say about it, except again: how beautiful!
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