Dynamic Africa

iluvsouthernafrica:

Mozambique:

“Two Makua women of northern Mozambique in the late 19th century wearing head scarves known as lenço and wrap around cloth capulana. The ‘Paisley’ pattern worn by the woman on the left became immensely popular in eastern Africa because of its similarity to the shape of the cashew nut which symbolises wealth and fertility.

The cashew nut is a major source of income in eastern and southern Africa which is one reason why the ‘Paisley’ pattern on textiles became immensely popular because of its similarity to the shape of the cashew. From the mid-nineteenth century, printed textiles in eastern and southern Africa, where slavery was not officially abolished until 1897, were increasingly worn as a sign of proud emancipation, freedom and personal prosperity.” From: zeitgeistafrica.com

Clothing similar to these women from Zanzibar

tzilahjewishcultureandhistory:

Eugène Delacroix - Jewish Woman of Algiers (1833)

Source: [x]

yanorayanora:

Egyptian woman in ceremonial dress, 1860s

yanorayanora:

Charmeur des serpents

Egypt, 1860s

art-and-things-of-beauty:

Anders Zorn (Swedish, 1860-1920).

Man and boy in Algiers. Watercolour and bodycolour on paper, 48,7x34,7 cm.

One my favourite paintings, this was painted in 1887.

(via algerianculture)

ukpuru:

Canoe of King Jaja of Opobo [Nigeria]. Unknown photographer. 1882.

bullit1987:

1870s-1880s. Climbing The Great Pyramid.

(via 37thstate)

legrandcirque:

Augustus Washington, Portrait of Chancy Brown, sergeant-at-arms for the Liberian senate, 1856-1860.

Source: Library of Congress

(via nocturnalphantasmagoria)

afrique-du-nord:

Rue Sidi Ben Ziad, Tunis, Tunisia (1899)

(via endilletante)

vintageblackbeauty:

Femmes de L’Oubangui

Date of publication : 1899