Minneapolis Institute of Art

Pelete Bite Wrapper

Kalabari artist

Date

1980–89

Medium

Textiles

Culture

Kalabari

Department

Global Contemporary Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Kalabari men and women of Nigeria occasionally wear a unique cloth called pelete bite, which is created by altering fabrics imported from India. Starting with existing striped or checked patterns, new designs are made by cutting parts of the white threads with a razor and removing them. A few cut threads are still visible on this example. The technique also produces little holes, adding to the visual effect. The newly created motifs have descriptive names; here, for example, abili (checker board) and etere (mat). The women who create pelete bite are important figures in Kalabari society: artists, innovators, and entrepreneurs. Their art transforms imported cloth into a cultural symbol. Africa

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