Souban blanket
This very bright and colorful cloth is composed of nine bands, each approximately 7 inches to 7.25 inches in width, stitched selvage to selvage to develop a coherent pattern across the full width of the cloth. The primary structure is weft-face plain weave with patterns created in both discontinuous supplementary weft floats (brocade) and supplementary weft pile. The weaver had to assemble the strips carefully for the motifs that run perpendicular to the warp to match precisely. The central pattern is a large, alternating white and black checkerboard arranged in a diamond-shape with delicate patterns added to both the white and black checkers. Two sets of twelve parallel bands in a variety of colors extend symmetrically on either side. The bands are either of a single color (blue, green, orange, red, black, and white) or are made of white thread enlivened with bands of continuous supplementary weft chevron and lozenge patterns in red or black. The overall result is an extremely dynamic composition that focuses the eye first to the center field and then expands to the full vibrant surface of the cloth. With its interplay of colored blocks and bands, as well as two techniques of supplementary weft patterning, this cloth underscores the skills of Zarma weavers.
Artwork Details
- Title: Souban blanket
- Artist: Zarma-Songhay tchakey (weaver)
- Date: mid–20th century
- Geography: Mali; Niger
- Culture: Zarma-Songhay peoples
- Medium: Cotton, rayon or silk
- Dimensions: W. 64 in. × L. 10 ft. 7 in. (162.6 × 322.6 cm)
- Classification: Textiles
- Credit Line: Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Pascal James Imperato, 2020
- Object Number: 2020.388.2
- Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing
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