{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O266474"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O266474/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2018LD7668/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2018LD7668/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2018LD7668","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O266474","accessionNumber":"CIRC.303-1964","objectType":"Dress fabric","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"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.\r\n\r\nOriginally 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.\r\n\r\nBy 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.","physicalDescription":"Dress fabric of resist-dyed printed cotton, in shades of red, yellow and dark blue on a white ground. A trade sticker indicating an order for Ghana is attached to the lower right corner, dated April 25th 1957. ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"cotton (textile)","id":"AAT14067"}],"techniques":[{"text":"printing","id":"AAT53319"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Printed cotton","categories":[{"text":"Textiles","id":"THES48885"},{"text":"Africa","id":"THES49019"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&F","id":"THES48601"},"images":["2018LD7668"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES307394"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Dress fabric","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Manchester","id":"x28993"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"Produced for the West African market."}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1960","earliest":"1955-01-01","latest":"1964-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Bequeathed by Miss Mary Kirby","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Width","value":"11.5","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"23","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"This cloth hails from the Miss Mary Kirby bequest, a significant donation of global textiles acquired by the museum in 1964. Of the 70 textiles included in the acquisition, 28 were produced or sold in West Africa. Miss Kirby was a passionate textiles teacher, author, and collector. She taught weaving at the Central School, London, and in the 1950s spent many years in Ghana teaching textiles at the Kumasi College of Technology. Correspondence within the acquisition's Registered File indicate that she collected the textiles as educational aids.\r\n","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Dress fabric, printed cotton, Manchester, ca. 1960","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["CIRC.303-1964"],"accessionNumberNum":"303","accessionNumberPrefix":"CIRC","accessionYear":1964,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-22","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":true}}