Monday, December 21, 2015

Day 21 - West African Indigo

31 day blog challenge (1)

Image result for West African indigo
 image from adireafricantextiles.com


As early as the 15th century an Italian dye manual notes that the people of West Africa were regarded as highly skilled indigo traders and dyers. Traditionally to start an indigo dye vat they favored using some of the liquid from an old vat, dried balls of indigo leaves, and ash made from coconut husks. In 1670 when visiting Senegal, Frenchman John Barbot observed the dyers unique method of pouring clean water over ash covered dried indigo balls then letting the filtered liquid set in the sun for 10 days before the dye was ready to use. 

Image result for West African indigo             Image result for West African indigo
   image from wildtussa.com                                image from authenticafrica.com

Oshogbo was one of Yorubaland's indigo dying villages where 80% of the people were employed producing indigo dyed textiles. The intricately dyed cloth was highly prized for its workmanship. Today just a few indigo dyers remain to preserve the traditional dying legacy once so prevalent in West Africa. 







Image result for West African indigo  

 image fromadireafricantextiles.com 
 
After the cloth was dyed it was pounded with wooden mallets adding a desirable sheen
 to the surface of the fabric.                                          

  Image result for West African indigo
                                                             image from sites.google.com
 
 Intricate resist stitched patterns were added to the surface of the fabric before it was dyed.


 

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