Large Mid Century Tanzanian Batik Textile

This framed East African batik textile with handwritten dedication on the back, dated 73, depicting a small zebra standing quietly amid a lush, stylized landscape of broad leaves and tall, sketch-like grasses. The zebra’s crisp black-and-white stripes are set against a soft wash of sage greens, warm ochres, muted mauves, and subtle coral tones, creating a dreamy, atmospheric sense of depth. Fine crackle veining, an unmistakable hallmark of wax-resist batik, runs through the coloured areas, giving the scene a delicate, organic texture, like light filtering through foliage. A handwritten dedication on the back dates the piece to 1973 and identifies it as “Punda Milia Kidogo” (“small zebra” in Swahili), noting its origin in Tanzania, Dar es Salaam.

36” x 30 1/2”