Nigeria ✓ Verified craft Resist-dyed textile
Adire textile
Indigo resist-dyed cloth made by Yoruba women, with patterns drawn in cassava paste or tied with raffia.
CottonIndigoNatural dyes Resist dyeingHand finishing
Adire means 'tied and dyed'. Yoruba women, especially in Abeokuta and Ibadan, dye cotton cloth in indigo vats after protecting parts of the cloth with stitching, ties or starch paste. Many patterns have traditional names and meanings. Adire dyeing is traditionally passed down within families and women's artisan communities, and the craft has seen a strong revival with designers and fashion brands.
Connections to other crafts
2 parallels · written by the consortium Adire textile Alfa basketry
Thematic parallel · share: Women-led transmission
Both are passed down by women and have drawn the interest of designers in recent years.
Adire textile Maasai beadwork
Thematic parallel · share: Patterns as a visual language of identity
In both crafts colours and patterns can carry meanings and mark social identity.
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