QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-6619

Who documented this quilt?

Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection; Quilts and Human Rights; South Africa Quilt History Project; The Black Diaspora Quilt History Project

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Michigan State University Museum

Michigan Quilt Project Number:

15.0189

If this quilt is owned by a museum, enter the accession number:

2015:17.1

Object label:

Hester Viles
Laureate
Kempton Park, Gauteng, South Africa | Three Cats and Three Leopards trademarked fabric by the South African Da Gama Textiles company; hand and machine embroidered, hand and machine quilted

The design of this quilt was based on the traditional Khanga, (commemorative or political) cloths, made for the African market and worn to depict political affiliation or the celebration of an important event. This specific artwork also references a well-known photograph of a young Nelson Mandela. He wears the beaded collar and robes of the Thembu clan of the Xhosa tribe . Various South African cultures, including the Xhosa speaking people, create jewellery with beads. In the color and patterning of beaded collars the wearer's social and marital status is embedded and is an expression of their identity . Nelson Mandela was extremely proud of his cultural heritage and wore beads on many occasions.

The small white buttons are a typical adornment on Xhosa clothing and the fabric used also alludes to traditional women's pinafores and therefore to Nelson Mandela's great respect for women. A laurel wreath is a well-known symbol recognizing success and victory.

Quilt's title:

Laureate

When was the form filled out?

6/25/2015

Quilt top made by:

Viles, Hester

Describe the relationship to the quilt's maker:

Museum employee

Where the quilt was made, city:

Kempton Park

Where the quilt was made, country:

South Africa

Time period:

2000-2025

When was the quilt finished?

May 2014

Why was the quilt made?

Art or personal expression; Commemorative

Quilt is presently used as:

Artwork/wall hanging; Museum collection

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's occupation:

Artist

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

29 1/2"

How long is the quilt?

29 3/4"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Rounded

What color is the quilt?

Green; Orange; Pink

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

Describe the quilt's layout:

Medallion or framed center

Describe the fibers or fabrics in the quilt top:

Da Gama Three Cats + Three Leopards Textiles

Embellishment techniques used to make the quilt top:

Embroidery

How are the layers held together?

Hand quilting; Machine quilting

Where did the maker find their pattern?

Original to maker

Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:

"Conscience of the Human Spirit: The Life of Nelson Mandela", The International Quilt Conference Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa, July 2014. "Conscience of the Human Spirit: The Life of Nelson Mandela", The Kentucky Museum at Wester Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY, September 8, 2015 - January 31, 2016 "Conscience of the Human Spirit: The Life of Nelson Mandela", National Afro American Museum and Cultural Center, Wilberforce, OH, April 7 - October 7, 2016.

Related items such as diaries, obituaries, wills, household inventories, or pictures of the quiltmaker:

"Conscience of the Human Spirit: The Life of Nelson Mandela," exhibit catalog, Marsha MacDowell and Carolyn Mazloomi, Michigan State University Museum, 2014, page 96.

Quilt owner's name:

Michigan State University Museum

Quilt owner's city:

East Lansing

Quilt owner's county:

Ingham

Quilt owner's state:

Michigan (MI)

Quilt owner's country:

United States

How was this quilt acquired?

Purchase

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Who photographed this quilt?

Pearl Yee Wong

Copyright holder:

Michigan State University Museum