# African Wax & Fancy Print

> Industrially printed cotton made for West and Central African markets, first by Dutch and British mills that imitated Javanese batik with resin resist, and later by African mills. Giant emblematic motifs, an indigo key with offset colours and crackle veining repeat across the cloth, and traders name designs after proverbs and events. Cheaper one-sided fancy prints turn the cloth into commemorative media with portraits, emblems and slogans.

- Period: 1880–present
- Where: Sub-Saharan Africa, Western Europe
- Origin: Dutch (Haarlem, Helmond) and British (Manchester) mills making resin-resist imitation batik for West African markets; later Ghanaian, Ivorian and Nigerian mills, with designs named by traders in markets such as Lomé and Accra
- Branch: Traditions & vernacular
- Also known as: Ankara, Dutch wax, Real wax, Wax Hollandais, Fancy print, Commemorative cloth, Kitenge
- Page: https://stylogeny.com/styles/wax-print/

## Use it with care

Wax print is shared popular culture, but its designs carry names and messages given by African traders and wearers, and commemorative cloths carry political and religious portraits. Learn a design's name and meaning before reusing it, do not use commemorative portraits or party emblems out of context, and credit African designers, mills and traders rather than presenting a European brand or a generic 'African print' as the source.

## How it works

- Print a dark key image, usually indigo, by resin resist on both faces of the cloth, then add one or two colours by machine and let them sit slightly off register.
- Keep the crackle: let the resist break so fine dark veins run through light areas as a sign of genuine wax.
- Enlarge emblematic objects (birds, cages, ripples, handbags, letters) far beyond life size and repeat them in bold repeats across the whole length.
- Leave the meaning open for the market, so traders can name a print after a proverb, personality or event.
- For commemorative fancy cloth, centre portrait medallions, flags, emblems, dates and slogans in ribbon banners on a repeating field.
- Print the brand, design name and registration number on the selvedge.

## Its design choices

Defining choices make the style, characteristic ones are usual, occasional ones turn up now and then.

### Layout & composition
- [All-over field](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/all-over-field/) (defining)
- [Central symmetry](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/central-symmetry/) (characteristic)
- [Framed panels](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/framed-panels/) (occasional)
- [Radial & concentric](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/radial-and-concentric/) (occasional)

### Space & hierarchy
- [Repetition & rhythm](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/repetition-and-rhythm/) (defining)
- [Extreme scale contrast](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/extreme-scale-contrast/) (characteristic)
- [Horror vacui](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/horror-vacui/) (characteristic)

### Typography
- [All caps](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/all-caps/) (occasional)
- [Hand-lettering](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/hand-lettering/) (occasional)

### Colour
- [Flat fields](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/flat-fields/) (defining)
- [Full polychrome](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/full-polychrome/) (characteristic)
- [Limited spot colours](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/limited-spot-colours/) (characteristic)
- [Complementary clash](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/complementary-clash/) (occasional)
- [Dark ground](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/dark-ground/) (occasional)

### Form & shape
- [Stylised figuration](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/stylised-figuration/) (characteristic)
- [Biomorphic curves](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/biomorphic-curves/) (characteristic)
- [Geometric primitives](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/geometric-primitives/) (occasional)
- [Naturalistic depiction](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/naturalistic-depiction/) (occasional)

### Surface & texture
- [Misregistration & overprint](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/misregistration-and-overprint/) (defining)
- [Flat](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/flat/) (characteristic)

### Ornament
- [Abundant decoration](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/abundant-decoration/) (characteristic)
- [Folk & sacred symbols](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/folk-and-sacred-symbols/) (characteristic)
- [Emblems & badges](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/emblems-and-badges/) (characteristic)
- [Borders & frames](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/borders-and-frames/) (occasional)
- [Floral & vegetal](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/floral-and-vegetal/) (occasional)

### Imagery
- [Pattern & repeat](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/pattern-and-repeat/) (defining)
- [Treated photography](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/treated-photography/) (occasional)

### Medium & production
- [Textile & craft](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/textile-and-craft/) (defining)
- [Screen printing](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/screen-printing/) (characteristic)
- [Woodblock & linocut](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/woodblock-and-linocut/) (occasional)

### Tone & intent
- [Communal & popular](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/communal-and-popular/) (defining)
- [Playful & witty](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/playful-and-witty/) (characteristic)
- [Luxurious & glamorous](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/luxurious-and-glamorous/) (characteristic)
- [Agitational & persuasive](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/agitational-and-persuasive/) (occasional)
- [Authoritative & institutional](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/authoritative-and-institutional/) (occasional)

Avoids: Generous white space, Ornament-free, Pen, brush & ink, Rational & objective, Calm & contemplative, Gloss & highlights

Palette: #1d2f6f, #c1272d, #f2b705, #1b7f4a, #f3ead6, #141414

Typefaces: Selvedge captions: brand, 'Véritable Wax Hollandais' guarantee, design and registration numbers, Bold capitals in ribbon banners for slogans and dates on commemorative fancy cloth

Known for: J. B. T. Prévinaire's resin-resist printing machine (Haarlem, 1854); Vlisco (Helmond, from 1846; 'Véritable Wax Hollandais'); ABC Wax (Manchester) and Akosombo Textiles Ltd (Ghana); GTP (Ghana Textile Printing) and Uniwax (Côte d'Ivoire); 'Si tu sors, je sors' (trader-named Vlisco design); Fancy! Commemorative Cloths in Africa, musée du quai Branly (2023–24); Yinka Shonibare (Dutch wax as artistic material)

## Where it comes from, and what it’s close to

- Grew out of: [Batik Pattern Tradition](https://stylogeny.com/styles/batik.md) (1600–present)
- Influenced by: [Adinkra & Kente Symbol Systems](https://stylogeny.com/styles/adinkra-kente.md) (1700–present)
- Alike in its design choices: [Kanga (Swahili Message Cloth)](https://stylogeny.com/styles/kanga.md) (1886–present), 76% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Guna Mola](https://stylogeny.com/styles/guna-mola.md) (1900–present), 69% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Chinese Paper-Cut (Jianzhi)](https://stylogeny.com/styles/chinese-paper-cut.md) (c. 500–present), 63% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Kōwhaiwhai & Toi Māori Design](https://stylogeny.com/styles/maori-kowhaiwhai.md) (1500–present), 61% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Ndebele Geometric Painting](https://stylogeny.com/styles/ndebele-painting.md) (1940–present), 60% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Northwest Coast Formline Design](https://stylogeny.com/styles/northwest-coast-formline.md) (1700–present), 59% alike

## Real works

- [Ankara (wax-print cloth with dresses, handshake and peacock medallions)](https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O103498/): Brown Fleming Ltd, 1909, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
- [ABC (Alphabet)](https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O266516/): Calico Printers' Association, 1948, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
- [Ankara trade sample ('Freedom in my hand I bring')](https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O266478/): A. G. Leventis & Co. Ltd, ca. 1960, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
- [Commemorative cloth for President Obama's visit to Ghana, July 2009](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mills,_Obama,_GHANA-USA_wax_print_GTP_cloth.jpg): GTP (Ghana Textile Printing), 2009, Wikimedia Commons (photograph by Tommy Miles of a trader's cloth, Brooklyn, 2010)
- [Snakeskin](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Textile,_Snakeskin,_1922_(CH_68268265).jpg): Vlisco (P. F. van Vlissingen & Co.), Helmond, design 1922; this length undated, printed before 2015 (gift of Vlisco, 2015), Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (via Wikimedia Commons)

## Sources

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_wax_prints
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlisco
- https://m.quaibranly.fr/en/exhibitions-and-events/at-the-museum/exhibitions/event-details/e/fancy (Fancy! Commemorative Cloths in Africa, 2023–24)

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From Stylogeny (https://stylogeny.com/), an atlas of graphic-design styles by Van Riel Online Services. How it is made: https://stylogeny.com/about/. Cite as: Stylogeny, “African Wax & Fancy Print”, https://stylogeny.com/styles/wax-print/