Weaving cotton strips -- Dagana (Johnson, 1975)

Item — Box: 17, slide: 35.22.02

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

Slides of Africa from various sources; these slides document a variety of topics such as agriculture, landscapes, city scenes, villages, architecture, industry, transportation, commerce, and people, from throughout Africa during the 20th century.

Dates

Majority of material found within 1960 - 2000

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on use of the materials in the department for research; all patrons must comply with federal copyright regulations. To inquire about access to this collection, please contact the Herskovits Library at africana@northwestern.edu.

Extent

From the Collection: 99 Boxes (99 slide boxes.)

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Additional Description

General

Dgana is situated on the Senegalese side of the Senegal River, across from Mauritania. The weaver makes one long strip of cloth which will be cut later into approximately five pieces. They are then sewn together side by side. The tightly woven cotton cloth resulting from this is highly valued by the people and is expensive. During the weaving, the cloth is rolled up tightly on the beam which crosses his lap. The thread which he uses stretches across the courtyard and is held back by a stone which is pulled in slowly as the weaving progresses.