Cloth (Ukara)
Arts of Africa
Ukara are made exclusively for members of the Ekpe society, an interethnic men’s association found throughout southeastern Nigeria and western Cameroon. The designs are part of a dynamic language known as nsibidi, which uses image and gestural performance to communicate knowledge guarded by society members. Ukara cloths are made for a specific individual, who chooses designs of personal significance.
To make ukara, artists stich designs onto cotton cloth in raffia and then dip the cloth multiple times in indigo until it reaches the desired shade of blue. The sturdy raffia prevents the indigo from penetrating to the cotton underneath, leaving white patterns visible when the raffia is removed. Some remnants of raffia can be seen on this cloth.
MEDIUM
Cotton, indigo
DATES
20th century
DIMENSIONS
60 × 79 × 1/16 in. (152.4 × 200.7 × 0.2 cm)
(show scale)
ACCESSION NUMBER
1990.132.6
CREDIT LINE
Purchased with funds given by Frieda and Milton F. Rosenthal
PROVENANCE
Prior to 1990, provenance not yet documented; June 23, 1990, purchased in Aba, Nigeria by Elisha Renne for the Brooklyn Museum.
Provenance FAQ
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
Stitch-resist, indigo-dyed blue and white patterned commericial cotton. Patterns are known genertically as Nsibidi and refer to important objects and secret knowledge kept by Ekpe (Leopard) society members. Patterns include the leopard, double gong, hand, tortoise. Raffia is used to stitch resist pattern; cloth is then dyed in indigo; and the raffia removed. Some evidence of raffia remains on this cloth. Ukara clothes are used by Ekpe Society members as wrappers, as hangings, and in funerals. Pieces of cloth are joined by machine stitching; unfinished hems.
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is not on view
CAPTION
Igbo. Cloth (Ukara), 20th century. Cotton, indigo, 60 × 79 × 1/16 in. (152.4 × 200.7 × 0.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Purchased with funds given by Frieda and Milton F. Rosenthal, 1990.132.6. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , 1990.132.6_overall_PS4.jpg)
IMAGE
overall, 1990.132.6_overall_PS4.jpg., 2017
"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.
RIGHTS STATEMENT
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a
Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply.
Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online
application form (charges apply).
For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the
United States Library of Congress,
Cornell University,
Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and
Copyright Watch.
For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our
blog posts on copyright.
If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact
copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
RECORD COMPLETENESS
Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and
we welcome any additional information you might have.