African Lace-Bark in the Caribbean - by Steeve O Buckridge (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In Caribbean history, the European colonial plantocracy created a cultural diaspora in which African slaves were torn from their ancestral homeland. In order to maintain vital links to their traditions and culture, slaves retained certain customs and nurtured them in the Caribbean. The creation of lace-bark cloth from the lagetta tree was a practice that enabled slave women to fashion their own clothing, an exercise that was both a necessity, as clothing provisions for slaves were poor, and empowering, as it allowed women who participated in the industry to achieve some financial independence.

This is the first book on the subject and, through close collaboration with experts in the field including Maroon descendants, scientists and conservationists, it offers a pioneering perspective on the material culture of Caribbean slaves, bringing into focus the dynamics of race, class and gender. Focussing on the time period from the 1660s to the 1920s, it examines how the industry developed, the types of clothes made, and the people who wore them. The study asks crucial questions about the social roles that bark cloth production played in the plantation economy and colonial society, and in particular explores the relationship between bark cloth production and identity amongst slave women.

Review Quotes

Lace-bark is truly an extraordinary natural material, and one bound intimately to the history of the Caribbean. This book is the first to reveal the hidden lives of the men and women who created the complex chain from living plant to clothing, giving agency to those overlooked by botanists and historians. Buckridge makes a compelling case for regarding lace-bark in an African context, while also demonstrating its centrality in Jamaican culture.
Mark Nesbitt, Research Leader in Economic Botany at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK

This book highlights a virtually forgotten textile, but also contributes significant insight into the lived experiences of enslaved and newly-freed Africans in the Caribbean. It celebrates the knowledge and talents that enslaved women brought from West Africa, while contemplating what the future might hold for this distinctive bark cloth.
Heather Akou, Indiana University, USA

About the Author

Steeve O. Buckridge is Director of Area Studies programs and Professor of African and Caribbean History at Grand Valley State University, Michigan, USA.