R6046/3 Textile; Adire

a dark blue cloth with geometric patternsThe design of this indigo cloth is known as ‘Olukun’, which means goddess of the sea. The pattern is created using an adire eleko technique on two pieces of white fabric that have been sewn into a square. Adire is an indigo cloth produced through diverse resist dye methods by Yoruba women in southwestern Nigeria. The eleko technique uses cassava starch paste to create freehand or stencilled designs. Areas where the paste is applied resist the indigo dye. Collected as part of the Fashioning Africa project.

Creator: unknown

Place: Nigeria, West Africa, Africa

Date: c. 2002