Foto: Axel Killian
Cloth | Ukara
1950 - 1992
About the object
Cotton cloth dyed with indigo pigments using the Tritik dying technique. The cloth is made up of two pieces of fabric sewn together with a double seam.
Cloths of this kind are made and worn exclusively by men who belong to the ecbe (i.e. panthers) secret society. Whoever wears the cloth receives the power of the panther. Alongside the panther, accentuated by the white alternating triangles, there are other secret symbols of power: the crocodile, the double-bell and Islamic symbols of protection, such as the hamsa (Hand of Fatima).