Display Cloth (ndop)

Artist Bamum or Bamileke artist

Date20th century

MediumHand-woven cotton and indigo

Dimensions82 x 76 in. (208.3 x 193.0 cm)

ClassificationsTextiles

Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Art Trust Endowment

Object number2002.19

On View

Not on view

Label TextBeautiful blue and white cloths known as ndop (among other names) are displayed for important ceremonies throughout the Cameroon Grassfields. The cloth is also used to make costumes, such as the ones worn for elephant masquerade ceremonies of men's prestige societies. Cotton thread is woven into narrow strips, which are sewn together to produce a large cloth. Designs are stitched onto the cloth with a dye-resistant raffia thread before the cloth is dipped into a dark blue indigo dye. When the raffia threads are removed after dyeing, white designs are left where the indigo dye could not penetrate the cloth.ProvenanceDouglas Dawson Gallery, Chicago; sold to NCMA 2002. Object Rights Statement

The North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) makes images of its collection available online to support research and scholarship and to inform and educate the public. Certain works of art, as well as the photographs of those works of art, may be protected by copyright, trademark, or related interests not owned by the NCMA. The responsibility for ascertaining whether any such rights exist and for obtaining all other necessary permissions remains with the applicant. To request images and/or permissions from the NCMA, please complete our online request form.