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Blanket or Cover (Kaasa)
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Made on order, this blanket was hand woven in six strips that were sewn together at the selvages to make the full textile. Repeated named, symbolic geometric motifs in deep browns, blacks, and reds create an overall sense of rhythmic dynamism as naturally dyed colored floated weft (horizontal) threads dance in and out of the undyed cream-colored wool base textile. Some motifs have ties to Islam, as the Fulani were among the first West Africans to convert, or to nearby Tuareg cultures.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineBlanket or Cover (Kaasa), c. 1930s or earlier. Africa; West Africa; Mali, Niger, or Burkina Faso; Fulani (Peul) style; unknown weavers. Wool, dye; overall: 217.8 x 126.4 cm (85 3/4 x 49 3/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Alma Kroeger Fund, 2024.72