Printed by
Peters, Shani, American, born 1981
Manufactured by
Vlisco Group, Dutch, founded 1846
Subject of
Cousins, Aisha, American
President Obama, Barack, American, born 1961
Date
2011
Medium
cotton
Dimensions
H x W: 46 7/8 × 78 3/4 in. (119.1 × 200 cm)
Horizontal Repeat: 35 13/16 in. (91 cm)
H x W (Printed Portrait): 10 1/2 × 7 11/16 in. (26.7 × 19.5 cm)
Description
Length of printed textile by Vlisco customized with added printed graphic portraits of Barack Obama. The fabric features a white ground with an abstract design in tones of blues with teal and olive. There are three (3) rows all the same, but with the top and bottom rows having olive details and the middle row having teal details. The design is a very large scale pattern of diamonds set horizontally in a row, the corners covered by large abstract flowers printed in tones of blue that connect the diamonds together on all sides to create a grid. The diamonds are shell-like, with undulating borders in dark blue and are infilled with thin dark blue undulating lines and a pebbled batik technique. The top and bottom rows have the olive batik and the middle row has the teal batik. There are partials of the pattern with the teal batik near the selvedge at both ends as well. The white spaces between the batik filled shell-like diamonds are also shaped like diamonds with the corners covered by the stylized flowers, and are also filled in with thin dark blue undulating lines. An oval-framed portrait of Barack Obama is custom printed in black and white onto the manufactured printed fabric. Text inside the frame reads "BLACK PRESIDENT'S DAY FEBRUARY 21, 2011 / BARACK OBAMA 44TH PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.A." The added prints are placed on top of the olive and teal filled shell-like diamonds in an alternating pattern so that there are two (2) portraits stacked vertically in the top and bottom row of olive diamonds with the teal diamond in the middle between them left blank. In the next column, the olive diamonds are blank and the teal diamond contains the added printed portrait of Obama. Manufacturer's information is printed on both selvedges that reads in repetition "GUARANTEED DUTCH WAX VLISCO *SUPER-WAX* A1094 *SUPER-WAX".
Place printed
Harlem, New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
Place made
Helmond, North Brabant, Netherlands, Europe
Classification
Textiles and Quilts
Type
textiles
portraits
Topic
Africa
African diaspora
Design
Identity
Politics
Textile design
U.S. History, 2001-
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Catherine E. McKinley
Object number
2017.16.8
Restrictions & Rights
Unknown - Restrictions Possible
Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5345bde39-06b0-4fdd-9e14-b9d992383dd2

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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