QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-6662

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:

15.0196

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

2015:18.7

Object label:

Roy Starke
Madiba, The Face of Forgiveness
Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa | Kente cloth, cotton blends, paint, embroidery thread, cording made from embroidery thread; stamped, stencilled, appliqued, vestment cuts, dyed, machine and hand embroidered, machine quilted, tapestry

My joy in creating this quilt was intensely emotional; at times for me it provoked strong emotional distress. I hoped to achieve a visual impact, one that evokes an extremely loving feeling, one that has everything to do with the theme of Mandela and his conscience of spirit. I used a fragmented and complex composition with the placement of Mandela's face in a "box-like" section; the visionary man breaks from the hidden surfaces. This face, the face of forgiveness, is of primeval stature. I also used an ecstasy of color; remember "Free, free at last?" The outlines of frame of the face are in gold, suggesting that he was prince-like and almost belonging to a church order. The roses are a symbol of love and thanks to Madiba; the Kente cloth represents that this great man is from Africa. On the back of the quilt I embroidered an eternal flame; may his spirit live forever.

Quilts should recall human rights and emotions and a deep level of conscience. Needle and thread become instruments for the power of ideas, feelings, and convictions; these are transmitted through fabric.

Quilt's title:

Madiba, The Face of Foregiveness

Subject of the quilt:

Nelson Mandela

When was the form filled out?

6/25/2015

Quilt top made by:

Starke, Roy

Quilted by:

Starke, Roy

Describe the relationship to the quilt's maker:

Museum employee

Where the quilt was made, city:

Pretoria

Where the quilt was made, province:

Gauteng

Where the quilt was made, country:

South Africa

Time period:

2000-2025

When was the quilt finished?

January 2014

Why was the quilt made?

Art or personal expression; Commemorative

Quilt is presently used as:

Museum collection

Quiltmaker's gender:

Male

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

29 3/4"

How long is the quilt?

29 1/2"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

Overall color scheme:

Multicolor

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

Describe the quilt's layout:

Nontraditional or art

Describe the fibers or fabrics in the quilt top:

Embroidery threads, Kenti cloth, cotton blends, paint, cotton blends, embroidery threads, Kenti-cloth (hand woven).

Describe the techniques used to make the quilt top:

Appliqued (open), vestment cuts, tapestry pieces, stamped, stenciled, cording made from embroidery threads, dyed, hand painted, rubbed, bonded, hand + machine embroidered, machine quilted - no photo transfers.

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 88.

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