African wax prints

Common card · No. 411597

African wax prints, Dutch wax prints, or Ankara are a type of common material for clothing in West Africa. They were introduced to West Africans by Dutch merchants during the 19th century, who took inspiration from native Indonesian batik designs. They began to adapt their designs and colours to suit the tastes of the African market. They are industrially produced colourful cotton cloths with batik-inspired printing. One feature of these materials is the lack of difference in the colour intensity of the front and back sides. The wax fabric can be sorted into categories of quality due to the processes of manufacturing. The term "Ankara" originates from the Hausa name for Accra, the capital of what is now Ghana. Initially used by Nigerian Hausa tradesmen, it was meant to refer to "Accra," which served as a hub for African prints in the 19th century. It goes by other local names including "Abada" by the Igbo people of Nigeria. Normally, the fabrics are sold in lengths of 12 yards (11 m) as...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Alexander Sarlay, CC BY-SA 3.0