Not on display

Textile Sample

08/06/1942 (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, roller-printing only one side of the cloth with a design, without 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, manufactured by Logan, Muckelt & Co., Manchester, England, 1942.
Physical description
Batik style printed cotton fabric, brown, white and blue foliage 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
Logan, Muckelt and Co. 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. Established in 1884 and based in Manchester, England, the company designed, printed and dyed pre-made cloth specifically for the African market.
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, roller-printing only one side of the cloth with a design, without 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: BT53/128
Other number
402584 - patent number
Collection
Accession number
T.2237-2021

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Record createdSeptember 9, 2021
Record URL
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