Textile Sample
06/03/1936 (design registered)
| Artist/Maker |
Ankara is a printed cotton cloth, produced in a variety of patterns formed by the layering of polychromatic dyes. Fashionable in West and East Africa since the late 19th century, ankara is variously known as 'African wax' or 'Dutch wax' print – despite wax rarely being used in its manufacture. Embodying the overlapping colonial interests that prevailed in the region and beyond, the cloth has a complex history – rooted in trade monopolisation and cultural appropriation, yet acting as a conduit for African agency and resistance.
Originally produced in the Netherlands, ankara emerged from experiments to mechanically replicate batik, an Indonesian wax-print cloth traditionally developed by hand. Early Dutch attempts roller-printed a resin-resist onto both sides of the cloth before dyeing; the resist was then washed out, with additional layers of colour added by repeating this process, hand-blocking and/or roller-printing. The intended export market of Indonesia did not respond well to this imitation batik, as the resin was prone to cracking and bubbling, producing defects in the print. A keen market for the cloth did, however, emerge across West Africa in the 1890s, such that several factories – chiefly in Britain and the Netherlands – began producing ankara with this new customer in mind. Responding to market feedback on popular colours and patterns, European producers adapted ankara designs to suit the tastes of their discerning West African customers. In a collaboration between the consumer, dealer and manufacturer, local sellers would inform European merchants which styles were in demand and suggest motifs that would likely sell well.
By the early 20th century, a cheaper and more refined method of ankara production had been developed. Sometimes called 'fancy prints', these ankara are roller- printed with a design on one side of the cloth only, eschewing the use of a resin-resist. Many examples of this later ankara purposefully include the imperfections that originally marred Dutch attempts to replicate batik – alluding to the more esteemed resin-resist technique.
Originally produced in the Netherlands, ankara emerged from experiments to mechanically replicate batik, an Indonesian wax-print cloth traditionally developed by hand. Early Dutch attempts roller-printed a resin-resist onto both sides of the cloth before dyeing; the resist was then washed out, with additional layers of colour added by repeating this process, hand-blocking and/or roller-printing. The intended export market of Indonesia did not respond well to this imitation batik, as the resin was prone to cracking and bubbling, producing defects in the print. A keen market for the cloth did, however, emerge across West Africa in the 1890s, such that several factories – chiefly in Britain and the Netherlands – began producing ankara with this new customer in mind. Responding to market feedback on popular colours and patterns, European producers adapted ankara designs to suit the tastes of their discerning West African customers. In a collaboration between the consumer, dealer and manufacturer, local sellers would inform European merchants which styles were in demand and suggest motifs that would likely sell well.
By the early 20th century, a cheaper and more refined method of ankara production had been developed. Sometimes called 'fancy prints', these ankara are roller- printed with a design on one side of the cloth only, eschewing the use of a resin-resist. Many examples of this later ankara purposefully include the imperfections that originally marred Dutch attempts to replicate batik – alluding to the more esteemed resin-resist technique.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | cotton, printing |
| Brief description | Textile sample, printed cotton fabric, traded by The United Africa Company Ltd., Manchester, England, 1936. |
| Physical description | Batik style printed cotton fabric, blue, orange and white bell pattern |
| Credit line | Given by the Public Record Office |
| Object history | This numbered fabric sample comes from a large group of designs that were registered individually by manufacturers between 1914 and 1946 at the Manchester Design Registry. The collection was given to the V&A by the Public Record Office in 1960 after the closure of the Manchester Design Registry. Samples have been formally accessioned by the V&A gradually since 1966. The remaining textiles were formally acquired in 2021. The Manchester Design Registry textiles are duplicates of samples held in the Board of Trade Design Register at The National Archives, and by consulting the registration details there, it has been possible to date and identify the manufacturers of these designs. |
| Production | The United Africa Company is one of several companies - principally British or Dutch - who in the early 20th century designed, printed, exported and/or distributed factory-printed cotton textiles for the West African market. Merchant traders such as UAC acted as middlemen between European manufacturers and West African consumers, bridging the geographical and cultural gap that separated them through their use of market knowledge, which ultimately influenced the design and distribution of such textiles. |
| Summary | Ankara is a printed cotton cloth, produced in a variety of patterns formed by the layering of polychromatic dyes. Fashionable in West and East Africa since the late 19th century, ankara is variously known as 'African wax' or 'Dutch wax' print – despite wax rarely being used in its manufacture. Embodying the overlapping colonial interests that prevailed in the region and beyond, the cloth has a complex history – rooted in trade monopolisation and cultural appropriation, yet acting as a conduit for African agency and resistance. Originally produced in the Netherlands, ankara emerged from experiments to mechanically replicate batik, an Indonesian wax-print cloth traditionally developed by hand. Early Dutch attempts roller-printed a resin-resist onto both sides of the cloth before dyeing; the resist was then washed out, with additional layers of colour added by repeating this process, hand-blocking and/or roller-printing. The intended export market of Indonesia did not respond well to this imitation batik, as the resin was prone to cracking and bubbling, producing defects in the print. A keen market for the cloth did, however, emerge across West Africa in the 1890s, such that several factories – chiefly in Britain and the Netherlands – began producing ankara with this new customer in mind. Responding to market feedback on popular colours and patterns, European producers adapted ankara designs to suit the tastes of their discerning West African customers. In a collaboration between the consumer, dealer and manufacturer, local sellers would inform European merchants which styles were in demand and suggest motifs that would likely sell well. By the early 20th century, a cheaper and more refined method of ankara production had been developed. Sometimes called 'fancy prints', these ankara are roller- printed with a design on one side of the cloth only, eschewing the use of a resin-resist. Many examples of this later ankara purposefully include the imperfections that originally marred Dutch attempts to replicate batik – alluding to the more esteemed resin-resist technique. |
| Bibliographic reference | Board of Trade Design Register: BT53/124 |
| Other number | 359566 - patent number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.1815-2021 |
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| Record created | September 9, 2021 |
| Record URL |
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