Woven Legacies: Tradition & Innovation auction sale show on this February

By CityLife Arts Writer

Strauss & Co is proud to present ‘Woven Legacies: Tradition & Innovation.’ The Timed Online Sale — opening on 2 February and closing on 24 February 2025 from 2 pm — celebrates creativity and cultural heritage by showcasing the evolution of artisanal craftsmanship across the African continent.

This auction sale show that will take place next month explores a diverse range of materials, techniques, and processes from various regions, including Southern, Central and Western Africa.

The exhibition is on view at Strauss & Co, Brickfield Canvas, 35 Brickfield Rd, Woodstock, Cape Town

Central to the auction is the exploration of an expanded definition of what ‘woven’ entails. 

 Woven; formed by interlacing threads passing in one direction with others at a right angle to them, intertwined to create form, a poetic union of connection, pattern and purpose

‘Woven Legacies: Tradition & Innovation’ highlights a diverse range of materials, techniques, and processes from various regions, including Southern, Central and Western Africa. These works coalesce utility, aesthetics and cultural identity. From the tactile threads of textiles to the intricate blending of natural fibres in baskets and the sculptural forms of steel, copper, brass and beads, the concept of weaving is reimagined as a metaphor for connection, storytelling and the passing on of tradition. 

This sale includes traditional textiles such as Kuba cloths from the Democratic Republic of Congo, alongside a ceremonial Kuba calabash and Ewe prestige robes, which carry the weight of royal significance and ancestral memory. Building on these rich traditions, ‘Woven Legacies’ further extends the notion of weaving by introducing contemporary creations, including wrought ironworks by Conrad Hicks and exquisitely woven rings by Sharon Botha. Together, these works demonstrate how age-old weaving and crafting techniques continue to inspire innovation today.