AFRICAN WEAVE
“Originally in Africa most of the textiles, like that displayed here, were made by men. Yet when slaves were brought to the United States their work was divided according to Western patriarchal standards and women took over the tradition. However, this strong tradition of weaving left a visible mark on African American quilting. As seen here, the use of strips, reminiscent of the strips of reed and fabric used in men’s traditional weave, are used in fabric quilting.”
LARGE SHAPES & STRONG COLORS
“In Africa, the need to be able to recognize people from far distances was crucial for waring tribes and traveling hunting parties. This textile tradition of using large shapes and bright color was thus carried on, as exhibited in the quilt to the left.”
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ug97/quilt/atrads.html
