African textiles as historical documents -- Textiles and contemporary African art -- Fabric of a nation : the printed cloth of West Africa -- Kanga, capulana and shweshwe : printed cloth of Eastern and Southern Africa -- Textiles and trade -- Textiles, status and leadership -- Patterns of thought : textiles and systems of belief in North and West Africa -- Textiles and communication -- Through the lens : textiles, art and photography in Africa.