Abomey Appliquéd Tapestry, Fon, Benin, AfricanTextile Start Price USD 150.00 Current Price USD 150.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Saturday, July 19, 2008 End Time Saturday, July 26, 2008 Location Denver, CO See more about 'Abomey Appliquéd Tapestry, Fon, Benin, AfricanTextile' Description Title: Abomey Appliquéd Tapestry, Fon, Benin, AfricanTextile Type of Object: Textile Ethnic Group: Fon Country of Origin: Republic of Benin Materials: cotton Approximate Age: 20th century Dimensions: 21 inches Tall x 23 inches Long Overall Condition: Good Damage, Repair: Used Additional Information: his is a rare appliquéd textile made in the style of Abomey in the Republic of Benin. The main textile is a piece of cotton fabric. On this cotton cloth are sewn small pieces depicting different motifs and patterns (bird, fish, boat, quadruped etc...) using the appliquéd technique. This tapestry is very similar to the famous Asafo flags of the Fante people. In Ghana and Benin, the appliquéd technique is used to decorate ceremonial cloth, royal umbrellas, hammocks, wall tapestries, flags and banners. Abomey is known as the political capital of the famous Dahomey Kingdom which flourished in the seventeenth century. Abomey remains an important cultural center in the present-day Republic of Benin where one may find beautiful palaces, decorated walls, crafts and important artistic workshops. Tapestries and flags embellished with appliquéd motifs are among the most visual creations in Abomey. They are considered to be among the most important devices in the transmission of oral tradition. The Abomey flags tell the story of the glorious periods in the History of Dahomey Kingdom. Eachof these textiles tells one or several pieces of this famous Kingdom and the life of their Great Kings. Through proverbs, sayings or slogans, storytellers tell the history and educate people. Most of the proverbs refer to the founder of the Kingdom Houegbadja (1645-1685). They also refer to their Kings known for their courage as Valliant warriors who defeated and conquered enemies. Tegbessou (1732-1774), Guezo (1818-1858), Glele(1858-1889) , and Behanzin (1889-1894) have their names associated with these tapestries. The motifs on the Abomey tapestries mostly depict animals (Buffalo, elephant, lion, fish, bird), trees, water, sun etc. According to local tradition, fish is associated to Houegbadjahe Founder of the Kingdom of Abomey. "The fish that refuses the net will not enter." Houegbadja refers to a trap laid by his enemies when he was a prince, which he avoided; Buffalo related to Tegbessou and the proverb: "Once a buffalo is dressed it is very difficult to undress him." The buffalo is symbolic of the strength of the king; King Guezo is compared to a tree and the birds to his subjects. King Glele is compared to the open mouthed lion that terrorizes enemies. With the modernism, many other new symbols have been introduced in the Abomey repertory of signs and graphics.    **035189** All content, including pictures, Copyright Africa Direct Inc., 2006 Add Us To Your Favorite Sellers! Please visit our About Us page. SquareTrade © AP6.0 PesaMember Place a Bid!