Day 22 - Indigo and African Stitch Resist Techniques

      

Resist paste being applied with a feather 

The African resist dye techniques of stitching, raffia tying, and applying cassava paste were used to create different designs on plain fabric before dying them with indigo. The results made beautiful and elaborate patterns in the cloth. The techniques, patterns, and  symbols both told traditional stories for the regional viewer or were made as market items to sell or trade.                                                

Mostly it was women  who created the stitched and dyed fabric. In Yoruba a cassava or cornflour paste with alum called lafun that was used to create patterns on fabric and was traditionally applied freehand with a feather quill. Many images were stylized plants and  animals.

(left: image from black art studio on pinterest)

 

 Sweetpeapath: Adire cloth Casava paste resist indigo-dyed cotton woman’s wrapper Nigeria,

 c. 1950 courtesy of Joss Graham, London UK (pinned from lisa-tanner.tumblr.com) 

The adire oniko resist technique is done by tying raffia fiber around small stones or seeds into  the cloth to be dyed. A wide variety of patterns can be made with this tying method. If small stones are used small circles are the result. Larger circles were made by wrapping raffia  tightly around a pinched up piece of fabric 

Below" Indigo resist dyed cotton, Ibadan, Nigeria 1960s. Museum no. Circ.592-1965. © Victoria and Albert 

Museum, London . This cloth is an example of adire oniko, the pattern of was known as olosupaeleso or ‘moons and fruit’ in Ibadan when this cloth was purchased.

 

  

Left: Detail of indigo resist dyed cotton, Ibadan, Nigeria 1960s. Museum no. Circ.592-1965. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London This cloth is a detail of adire oniko cloth in an olosupaeleso, 'moons and fruit', pattern.

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adire alabare stitch resist (image from Monika Etttin Pinterest board

The stitched resist technique is stitching done by hand or machine then removed to reveal the area of white fabric not dyed by the indigo.Traditionally women sewed by hand and men sewed by machine to create the resist patterns also known as adire alabare. 
The West African indigo resist dyed textiles were highly prized to be worn and traded. The number of indigo textiles produced today is a small fraction of what was made before. Still, small dye works survive and artisans are learning resist and dying techniques and  preserving  the tradition.  Fortunately many early examples appear in museums around the world to observe, study, and enjoy.