Factory-printed cloths were introduced into Africa from Europe in the 19th century. The 1920s and 1930s saw the introduction of “fancy fabrics” or imitation wax fabrics produced industrially through the printing process and nowadays printed digitally. These cotton fabrics consist of large blocks of bright color and intricate designs, often with photographic imagery on one side. Fancy fabrics are quickly produced and sold for mass consumption. They are worn on special occasions like coronations, weddings and funerals.
In the 1950s and 1960s, as African nations achieved independence, fancy prints produced with photographs of political leaders and traditional rulers quickly became historical documents of an important and exciting time in African history. The title iyoba, or queen mother, was created by Oba Esigie (reign c. 1504–50) for his mother Queen Idia who was the first queen mother and the only woman to go to war to defend her son and the Benin Empire. Even though the court art of royal women represents only a small percentage of works from Benin, these works acknowledge the agency of women in ensuring the continuity of the family, the state and the Edo peoples.
Photographer S.O. Alonge’s official portrait of the queen mother upon the coronation of her son, Oba Erediauwa I, to the throne in 1979, was used on her commemorative cloth created between 1981 and 1983.
Solomon Osagie Alonge was photographer to the Royal Court of Benin, Nigeria, appointed as the first official court photographer in 1933 by Oba Akenzua II. He learned the craft of photography as a youth in Lagos during the 1920s and saw himself and his profession as an honorable and distinguished calling. He demonstrated an inclusive documentary perspective in his efforts to photograph many aspects of the world around him. In 1942, Alonge established the Ideal Photography Studio in Benin City and documented colonial society, the establishment of churches and businesses, and the formation of new civic organizations, athletic clubs and social groups like the Benin Social Club. As a commercial photographer, Alonge photographed individual and group portraits, preserving a visual record of the everyday lives and peoples of Benin City. Alonge’s studio portraits illustrate how local Bini residents presented themselves to the camera and engaged with the practice of photography during the early-to-mid-20th century.
Description:
Benin commemorative cloth, possibly a shirt, picturing the Coronation of the Queen Mother of Benin, Aghahouwa N'lyoba, 1981 in orange, yellow and black.
Provenance:
Gift to Dr. Kaplan from The Iyoba, -- to early 1980s
Exhibition History:
Chief S.O. Alonge: Photographer to the Royal Court of Benin, Nigeria, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., September 17, 2014-July 31, 2016
Content Statement:
As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
Image Requests:
High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
