The area now known as Benin, was, for a while, a colony under France known as Dahomey. Before that time it was self-ruled for hundreds of years by different dynasties. It was the custom of the court to commission appliqued cloths for use as a sort of "royal message board," to be displayed during public gatherings.

I bought this particular wall hanging in 1971 in an art gallery in Johannesburg, South Africa. This Dahomey is hand stitched, carries some of the motifs still seen in the mass-produced Dahomeys, but has a combination that I found unique. It is about 36 inches wide by 65 inches tall. I purchased it to be part of my "angry art collection," a small collection I have built over the years because I believe it is also important to stay connected to the artistic shadow. What do you think is the story behind this hanging that comes from a slave-trading, human sacrificing culture?