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Swahili Kanga from Kenya

The exemplar is part of the collection of the Dutch ethnographic museum, the Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen. The centerpiece - three maize cobs - is surrounded by a frame of red flowers and a writing in Swahili Mtenda akitendwa huwaje on the lower edge of the cloth. These different components contribute to the kanga’s ability to indirectly address topics that women are not supposed to talk about in face-to-face conversations.

Stories

  • Finding Women's Voices

    story by Sophie Spickenbom.

    In this story, we will attempt to trace the history of the kanga and the voice it gave to the Kenyan woman who once owned it.

    Start this story