Founders' Collection

Tanzania Kanga

A classic kanga with a great proverb. Cotton. Made in Tanzania. Date unknown.

Approximate size, each kanga: 115 x 165 cm / 45 x 64 inches

Proverb translation: God is the one we run to.

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.

Approximate size, each kanga: 115 x 165 cm / 45 x 64 inches

Proverb: God is the one we run to.