Kenya Kanga
A colourful kanga with a great proverb. Cotton. Made in Kenya circa 1980.
Approximate size: 110 x 150 cm / 43 x 59 inches
Proverb translation: Provided you know what shame is, then you will understand why blood is thicker than water.
Kanga is the Kiswahili word for the traditional cotton wrapper worn by women in East Africa, especially the ‘Swahili coast' of Kenya and Tanzania.
In Kenyan and Tanzanian markets, kangas generally come as a matching pair: one kanga for a wrapper, the other for a shawl, head-tie, baby carrier, etc.
Historically woven and printed in India, modern kangas are mostly produced in East Africa for the local market. Since the 1900s, kangas have been distinguished by a central motif, a Swahili proverb and a border around the edge.
