Panel (Lamba Mpanjaka)
<p>In this display piece, the jewel-like colors and designs in the weaving are a contemporary revival of <em>akotofohana</em>, a 19th-century cloth worn by monarchs in Madagascar as their most luxurious mode of dress. Malagasy people consider cloth to be the ultimate gift: a valuable symbol of relationships forged between rulers, individuals, ancestors, and spirits. Rulers presented the fine mulberry silk textiles to foreign dignitaries as they established and built diplomatic ties around the world. For example, Queen Ranavalona III of Madagascar sent two <em>akotofohana</em> cloths to US President Grover Cleveland in 1886.</p>
Catalogue
- Year
- 1997
- Dimensions
- 278.1 × 172.7 cm (109 1/2 × 68 in.) Weft repeat: point repeat Fringe length: 9 in. (on side with accession number label), 10 in.
- Collection
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Artist
- Antoine Rakotoarinala
Artist
Textile
Daniel Rafidison (Malagasy, born 1963) and Antoine Rakotoarinala (Malagasy, born 1962)
Full artist profile →Record
Verified by WattsOS- Artist
- Antoine Rakotoarinala
- Year
- 1997
- Dimensions
- 278.1 × 172.7 cm (109 1/2 × 68 in.) Weft repeat: point repeat Fringe length: 9 in. (on side with accession number label), 10 in.
- Watts ID
- WW-1997-114438
Source
- Collection
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Source
- aic
- Reference
- View at source
- Status
- verified