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| Wax prints |
African wax prints, Dutch wax prints or Ankara, are omnipresent and common materials for clothing in West and Central Africa. They were introduced to West and Central Africans by Dutch merchants during the 19th century, who took inspiration from native Indonesian techniques and Akwete cloth designs. Akwete cloth is a unique hand woven textile produced in Igboland, Nigeria.
According to source voice of inspiration, it’s not African print because the Dutch brought it to our shores. So instead of calling it African fabrics it should be called Wax print.
The origin of the printed fabric and its popularity in Africa date back to the mid-1800s when a Dutch company, now named Vlisco, traded it in West Africa's coastal towns. Since then, the fabric has been a mainstay of African fashion. The generic “wax hollandais” reference originated then.
These clothes also have deep meaning: often, fabrics have hidden messages. Why is it that some patterns have tortoises on them and some parade large fans in bold and dazzling colors? It’s easy to see fingers, lipstick, elephants, birds etc. in the array of patterns on our Wax print.
The colors and symbols used in each print design can symbolize a tribe, marriage, and social status of the wearer. After the fabrics are designed, printed, and distributed to markets, particularly in West Africa, the women who wear the cloth create the stories and hidden meanings behind them, this is according to the head of sales and marketing at Akosombo textiles, Petra Aba Asamoah.
Below are some fascinating names and meanings of common patterns that can be found on wax prints. These names of patterns date back to Nkrumah’s time as he is also mentioned. There is a fabric named after his pen, this fabric is called Nkrumah pencil. It is said to symbolize the power his pen held in signing orders used to control political opponents.
Ludu Dice: The Ludu Dice fabric has patterns of little four-square boxes, it is called Ludu Dice because it has the shape of a ludu dice.
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| Ludu Dice Source: voice of inspiration |
“S3 wu b3 ka me hu as3m fa akonya tinase”: “If you want to talk about me, take a stool and sit down” The stool in the fabric is a key feature.
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| S3 wu b3 ka me hu as3m fa akonya tinase |
Source: voice of inspiration
“Akufu”: Akufu fabric mostly comes in blue, it is said to be worn by wealthy people or people of great reputation.
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| Akufu Source: voice of inspiration |
“Papa y3 asa”: “Goodness is finished” The meaning is that no matter what you do for your fellow human being they’ll never be grateful.
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| Papa yi asa Source: voice of inspiration |
Nkrumah Pencil: The Nkrumah pencil fabric has drawings of pencils in them, the cloth symbolizes the power Nkrumah’s pen had to sign orders used to control political opponents.
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| Nkrumah pencil Source: voice of inspiration |
Petra Aba Asamoah head of sales and marketing at Akosombo textiles gives us more insight on how the names in wax prints are generated.
In conclusion, the next time you want to purchase a wax print, don’t just look at the color but the designs in it and what they might be communicating.
Final production by Stella Ewurabena Everett
