African_Women_and_Visual_Culture

African Women and Visual Culture According to Patrick R. McNaughton, the use of shirts (i.e., the Batakari) by warrior leaders probably originated in the Muslim areas of northern Ghana, where the Batakari was collected. They are adorned with small leather type charms sown around tightly folded papers containing written Islamic phrases or geometric diagrams: the charms are believed to have the power to protect the wearer from harm. Similar decorated tunics are worn by hunters in Mall to the north. The use by hunters is probably an older custom; and it may explain the addition of animal elements such as the horns bound in leather and the use of civet cat skin to cover some of the charms. Animal materials add the powers of the bush and its dangerous and stealthy animal spirits to the protective powers of the Islamic charms. The Batakari is fashioned of indigo-dyed, striped, men’s-weave cloth made of narrow strips sown together. While Patrick R. McNaughton offers us important view on the shirts that Mande hunters wear, it also offers important insight on the collective culture, religion, as well as hunters’ habits and lifestyles. While the Mall Empire is spoken of (Thirteenth Century AD) in connection to the Mande Empire and empire, ghana, mande, african, mali, hunters, century, shirts, clothing, keita, very, states, great, clothes, civilization, batakari, africa, about, warrior, today, sundiata, same, said, probably, power, own, northern, known, islam, ibadi, garb, first, established, core, charms