Tanzania · Dar es Salaam / 1999 · printed cloth
Kanga memorialising Julius Nyerere
Cloth that carries a public message
A kanga produced in 1999 to commemorate Julius Nyerere, photographed on display at the British Museum (Af2006,02.1).
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A kanga is a printed cloth worn in East Africa, often carrying a proverb or a message in Swahili. This one, produced in 1999, commemorates Julius Nyerere, Tanzania’s first president and the architect of Ujamaa. It turns a garment into a public memorial. The cloth’s message is not the same as every wearer’s opinion: people wear kangas for many reasons, and a commemorative print can be a family gift, a party marker or simply a useful piece of fabric. Reading it politically means asking who produced the message and who could choose to wear it.
- Date
- 1999 · printed cloth
- Maker / designer
- Unknown Tanzanian printer; British Museum collection
- Material
- Printed cotton
- Context
- A commemorative kanga on display at the British Museum; the cloth is an everyday garment and a public text.
Evidence: Date established · Place established
Historical record
- The kanga was produced in 1999 to commemorate Julius Nyerere.
- It is held by the British Museum (Af2006,02.1).
- A kanga is a printed cloth that often carries a proverb or public message.
