Kpokpo Cloth Hammock

Country cloth is a thick, heavy, cloth, traditionally made from locally grown cotton that is spun into thread, dyed, and woven into strips on a tripod loom. The strips are then sewn together edge to edge to form the finished cloth. Such cloth was, in the past, regarded as a sign or wealth and Prestige. This is an example of a kpokpoi, or kpokpo, cloth hammock, used for carrying chiefs. Hammocks, like this one, would usually be accompanied by a canopy borne on the heads of the carriers that shielded the chief from the sun. This is a particularly fine example.

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Further Information

  • Type: Textiles, cloth
  • Object: Kpokpo Cloth Hammock
  • Materials: Textile
  • Culture Group: Sherbro, Mende
  • Dimensions: 210mm [L] x 1220mm [W]
  • Production Date: Pre 1934
  • Associated Places: Unknown
  • Associated People: Charles A. Beving
  • Museum: British Museum
  • Accession Number: BM:Af.1934.307.183

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