Elaborately appliquéd or embroidered cloths such as this one are known as cloths of the great and are worn only by chiefs. The motifs are associated with proverbs which constitute a system of verbal and visual royal imagery. Each cloth of the great is in fact a set of allusions to a chief’s power and responsibility. Notice the many royal emblems on this textile, including a royal stool flanked by swords, an elephant, and a crossed crocodiles symbol.
- Titles Chief's Wrapper (akunitan) (Descriptive)
- Medium wool; silk
- Dimensions 120 x 79 in. (304.8 x 200.7 cm)
- Credit Line Museum purchase through the generosity of Robert Aaron Young, 1988.140
- Work Type wrapper
- Classification Costume