Composed of narrow woven strips joined selvedge to selvedge, the indigo warp stripes interspersed with white weft bands and blocks of red, yellow and white, bordered at either end with narrow red bands.

Conservation mounted on a stretcher. Ghana, circa 1900.

Dimensions: Height: 123cm / Width: 210cm

This striking togotala reflects the refined weaving traditions of the Ewe of southeastern Ghana. The bold interplay of striping and coloured blocks recalls kente weaving, though the asymmetry and restraint are typical of Ewe design. Comparable examples are preserved in the British Museum and the Smithsonian Institution; see Doran H. Ross (ed.), Wrapped in Pride (1998), and Silvia Forni & Christopher Steiner, Africa in the Market (2015).

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