Daniel Frye (from left), Prof. Jean Ntakirutimana, Felicia Frye, Prof. Pierre Lizee, Politcial Sciences chair, and John Kaether, director of Internationl Services, show off the new tapestry in the Political Sciences meeting room that was donated by retired professor Dennis Essar.
Daniel Frye (from left), Prof. Jean Ntakirutimana, Felicia Frye, Prof. Pierre Lizee, Politcial Sciences chair, and John Kaether, director of International Services, show off the new tapestry in the Political Sciences meeting room that was donated by retired professor Dennis Essar.
The Department of Political Science’s meeting room is home to some new artwork, thanks to a donation from retired professor Dennis Essar and his wife Mary.
The room now features an Adrinkra tapestry from Ghana, one of many tapestries the Essars collected while Dennis taught French at the University of Ghana during a sabbatical and during the couple’s travels throughout West Africa.
The Adinkra fabric is created by the Akan people of Ghana and is the only African cloth-printing tradition with pre-colonial origin.
The symbols on the tapestry are hand printed using Adinkra aduro dye, made from the bark and roots of the Badie tree, and stamps carved from pieces of calabash.
The symbol in the fabric, called Dwennimmen, is stylized ram’s horns signifying humility together with strength.
The Essars have donated five tapestries in total to Brock.
