Loom, D40.291

Weavers beater, approx. 130mm wide and 195mm long. Top end of beater is of leather -to be grasped by weaver to pull back, beat against strip of cloth to firm up weft along warp. Leather is dark and likely oil stained from heavy use. Leather appears to be folded over wooden(?) frame and sewn along all four edges. Sides of beater are of two parallel long rectangular sticks of wood extending from either end of leather handle. The other ends of these two sticks are clamped between two pieces of split bamboo which are bound together at the ends with loops of cotton(?) thread. Inserted into the inside edge of the leather handle, running parallel to the sides are 41 thin strips of bamboo/palm frond(?) which run between the two pieces of bamboo and exit on the outer edge of same. These 41 strips are firmly attached in the leather and between the bamboo pieces. A cotton (?) string is tied to either end of the bamboo pieces forming a loop which is used to hang the beater on the loom. Running through the spaces between the 41 strips of bamboo/palm frond are a number of natural coloured cotton(?) threads, forming the warp. A short piece (approx. 400mm) of cloth has been woven on the other side of the beater using the cotton warp. Three short narrow sticks of wood have a number of cotton threads attached to them on the unwoven side of the beater. These threads form loops through which run various groups of the warp threads. By pulling on these sticks (likely by means of foot operated pedals the various groups of warp are pulled at different times so that the waft will run through the warp at different places forming designs within the cloth. A rope of warp extends beyond these sticks.

Unknown Donor notes indicate Nigeria. It is possibly from Nigeria but could be from any number of W. Afar. Countries. Wood, leather, cotton thread/cloth, bamboo and possibly strips of palm frond. s Weavers 'beater', approx. 130mm wide and 195mm long. 'Top' end of beater is of leather -to be grasped by weaver to pull back, 'beat' against strip of cloth to firm up weft along warp. Leather is dark and likely oil stained from heavy use. Leather appears to be folded over 'wooden'(?) frame and sewn along all four edges. Sides of beater are of two parallel long rectangular sticks of wood extending from either end of leather 'handle'. The other ends of these two 'sticks' are clamped between two pieces of split bamboo which are bound together at the ends with loops of cotton(?) thread. Inserted into the inside edge of the leather handle, running parallel to the sides are 41 thin strips of bamboo/palm frond(?) which run between the two pieces of bamboo and exit on the outer edge of same. These 41 strips are firmly attached in the leather and between the bamboo pieces. A cotton (?) string is tied to either end of the bamboo pieces forming a loop which is used to hang the beater on the loom. Running through the spaces between the 41 strips of bamboo/palm frond are a number of natural coloured cotton(?) threads, forming the warp. A short piece (approx. 400mm) of cloth has been woven on the other side of the beater using the cotton warp. Three short narrow sticks of wood have a number of cotton threads attached to them on the 'unwoven' side of the beater. These threads form loops through which run various groups of the warp threads. By pulling on these sticks (likely by means of foot operated 'pedals' the various groups of warp are pulled at different times so that the waft will run through the warp at different places forming designs within the cloth. A 'rope' of warp extends beyond these sticks. Beater =approx. 130mm wide and 195mm long. Leather end of beater is approx. 60mm wide and 130mm long. Piece of cloth and tied extensions = approx. 480mm long. Length of warp including the 'rope' = approx. 730mm. —Joel A Vanderburg

Locality Nigeria