Blue and white shift (Enkaniki)

Label TextThe shift is made in both Kenya and Tanzania, specifically for the Maasai, replacing traditional skin cloths. Women wear this on a regular basis as well as on special occasions. Blue and white are the colors of the universe. Blue represents the sky and white symbolizes the ground. This particular pattern is common among the Maasai of Kaputiei section, but the colors are used by all sections. To learn more about the unique exchange that inspired this collection, please consult: https://art.seattleartmuseum.org/objects/26449

Object number2000.12.17

ProvenanceDonated to the museum by members of the Merrueshi community in exchange for funding a classroom in 2000, coordinated by Kakuta Maimai Hamisi

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, A Maasai Community Adorns a Bride, May 31, 2001 - Mar. 1, 2005. Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Art from Africa: Long Steps Never Broke a Back, Feb. 7 - May 19, 2002 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Oct. 2, 2004 - Jan. 2, 2005; Hartford, Connecticut, Wadsworth Atheneum, Feb. 12 - June 19, 2005; Cincinnati, Ohio, Cincinnati Art Museum, Oct. 8, 2005 - Jan. 1, 2006; Nashville, Tennessee, Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Jan. 27 - Apr. 30, 2006 [as African Art, African Voices: Long Steps Never Broke a Back]).

Credit LineGeneral Acquisition Fund

Dimensions41 1/2 x 19 3/4 in. (105.4 x 50.2 cm)

MediumCotton