Kiswahili proverb Kanga

This kanga was produced by manufacturer Rivatex in Eldoret, Kenya, for Kaderdina Hajee Essak (KHE) Ltd., a shop in Mombasa, Kenya, that has been designing and trading kanga since the 1880s. One of the shop’s original proprietors, Hajee Essak Abdulkaderdina, is widely known for popularizing the phenomenon of printed proverbs on kanga cloth in the 1930s (1).

The jina of this kanga reads, “MAZOWEYA YANA TABU,” which roughly translates to, “Familiarity can be a burden,” in Kiswahili. This kanga likely gets its name from the popular taarab, “Mazowea yana tabu” (2). Taarab, or Swahili poetry recited to musical accompaniment, is characterized by its heavy use of metaphors and euphemisms, therefore making song verses a popular choice for kanga names (3).

This kanga has been hemmed along the short sides to be worn as a wrap. The colour of the printed cloth, green and yellow, is typically worn by women who want to indicate that they are in love and happy (1).

This kanga was produced by Mount Kenya Textiles (Mountex) in Nanyuki, Kenya, a market town located at the base of Mount Kenya. Although the manufacturer went out of business in 2000, efforts are underway to revive the company and bring back more industrial production to the area (1).

“MIMI NA WEWE HATUACHANI,” this kanga's jina, means “You and I are inseperable" in Kiswahili. Kanga with romantic inscriptions are typically given to a woman by her huband or partner as a gift. Floral motifs against a bright yellow grid background are an especially popular kanga pattern, and similar kanga with different jina have been reprinted since the post–WWII era (2). This kanga was hemmed on the short sides to be worn as a wrap.

The novelty of limited-run kanga prints means that these pieces can become more valuable over time. Some Swahili women have collections of kanga that number in the dozens, while others may trade-in older patterns to afford the latest design at the market (3).

Manufactured in Kenya by an unidentified producer, this red, black, and white kanga would be worn by a woman as an everyday wrap, or given as a gift to someone she knows—perhaps to communicate a message of warning to the receiver.

This kanga's jina reads, “MGENI NI KUKU MWEUPE,” a Swahili proverb that translates to, “A visitor/stranger is like a white fowl." This alludes to the conspicuousness of outsiders' behaviour in foreign environments and reminds the wearer to be mindful of their actions when away from home (1). Hemmed on the short sides and intended to be worn as a wrap, this kanga features six-pointed stars and patterned pindo that are indicative of an Indonesian batik influence.

The ambiguity of kanga names ensure that the gift giver could feign ignorance of any implied meaning. She could claim to have selected the textile based on pattern and colour instead of the written proverb (2). In this way, kanga are a communication medium for women to express themselves within cultural norms, beyond reproach, and without unwanted social consequences (3).

This kanga was made in Kenya by an unidentified manufacturer and prominently features korosho (paisley) motifs—named after the Kiswahili term for the cashew nut—as is typical of textiles influenced by Indian woodblock printing and Indonesian batik. Also known by the Persian term boteh or buttah, this teardrop-shaped motif has featured heavily in kanga designs since its introduction to the Swahili East African Coast by Gujarati traders (1).

The jina of this kanga reads, “TAMU YA HARUSI NI FURAHA,” which approximately translates to, “The sweetness of the wedding is joy/happiness" in Kiswahili. The textile's short edges have been hemmed so it can be worn as a wrap.

Kanga with romantic inscriptions are often gifted to brides for their wedding in celebration of a successful union, and women who attend as guests are also expected to wear their best kanga to the event itself (2). This practice is changing as fewer urban women choose to dress in kanga for everyday life, and wrap cloths are further relegated to the private, domestic sphere.