In a discussion about quilting in the United States, the vast majority of Americans assume that this skill, passed down from generations of quilters, is unique to Caucasian Americans. Perhaps because of its association with the early Colonists and the Amish people, few realize that there are several very well known African American quilters.
Indeed some may know of a friend who is of African descent that quilts, but by and large these associations are rare in comparison with the number of quilters of European descent. Quiet though it’s kept, the hobby is shared by hundreds if not a few thousand African Americans.
Ironically, the quilting history of African American parallels, to some extent, the history of quilting within the Caucasian American community. Although the image of White women, sitting in a group stitching away, are usually conjured up when asked to picture quilting in the early days of the US, in fact, the vast majority of quilts were made by slaves. Whether these slaves were taught by their slave owners or they brought the tradition with them from West Africa, either way, it’s a custom that continues today many among American Americans.
The Difference is the Cloth
Having learned the skill of quilt making from her slave owner, a slave incorporated the use of cotton cloth and stitched each piece together to form the quilt that most are familiar with as being the standard pattern. However, today, while the process has changed little, the type of cloth has changed greatly.
Employing the use of Kente cloth, which originates from Ghana, West Africa, a quilt made by an African American today, resembles little the ones of early Colonial days. Unlike the often subdued colors and patterns of the more traditional American quilts, those made using Kente are anything but understated. Kente is bold, it’s overflowing in colors and it is anything by bland.
Colors in Kente cloth have special meaning, usually symbolic in nature. Another difference between quilting performed by the respective races is that when making a traditional “American” quilt, the colors used are not associated with anything symbolic or religious. Colors, apart from being pretty, don’t have any special meaning in most Western cultures. Indeed people associate a particular color with a mood, but this too is subjective. Some might argue this point, but ask five people what the color blue represents and you’ll receive five or perhaps six different answers.
Not so in most African countries. Colors are representational of specific things and the use of them in clothing or quilting and the combinations of colors used have very clear meanings. Below is a list, which should explain them.
- Black—maturation, intensified spiritual energy
- Blue—peacefulness, harmony and love
- Green—vegetation, planting, harvesting, growth, spiritual renewal
- Gold—royalty, wealth, high status, glory, spiritual purity
- Grey—healing and cleansing rituals; associated with ash
- Maroon—the color of mother earth; associated with healing
- Pink—assoc. with the female essence of life; a mild, gentle aspect of red
- Purple—assoc. with feminine aspects of life; usually worn by women
- Red—political and spiritual moods; bloodshed; sacrificial rites and death.
- Silver—serenity, purity, joy; assoc. with the moon
- White—purification, sanctification rites and festive occasions
- Yellow—preciousness, royalty, wealth, fertility
If quilting is something that greatly interests you and you would like to know more about quilts made using Kente cloth, here are some resources that can assist you:
African American Quilt Guild of Oakland