Vintage & Collectable African Textiles

Kenya Kitenge

A classic kitenge - in fact a real beauty! Cotton. Made in Kenya. 2009

• Single kitenge: £25
• Uncut pair of kitenga: only £40 - save £10

Approximate size, each kitenga: 110 x 160 cm / 43 x 62 inches

Kitenge is the Kiswahili word for a traditional cotton wrapper worn by women in East Africa, especially the ‘Swahili coast' of Kenya and Tanzania.

In Kenyan and Tanzanian markets, kitenge generally come as a matching pair: one kitenge for a wrapper, the other for a shawl, head-tie, baby carrier, etc.

Historically woven and printed in India, modern kitenge are mostly produced in East Africa for the local market.

Since the 1900s, kitenge have been distinguished by a central motif with a border - but without the proverb found on kanga.

Approximate size, each kitenga: 110 x 160 cm / 43 x 62 inches