adire
- Museum number
- Af1971,35.24
- Description
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Adire textile: woman's: composed of two even lengths of machine plain woven European cotton machine sewn together. The textile is decorated using the starch resist method (freehand). The producer has applied the starch in the desired design before dyeing the textile indigo. The textile pattern is called OLOBA or 'the owner of a king' known as a Jubilee Cloth in english The textile has a central motif representing King George VI and Queen Mary on each half of the textile. There are also representations of lions, sceptres and other figures. The hems are machine sewn and signed by the producer.
- Dimensions
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Length: 193 centimetres
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Width: 168.50 centimetres
- Curator's comments
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Part of the AF1971, 35. 1- 27 collection of ADIRE (indigo resist-dyed cloths made by the ) YORUBA, NIGERIA. The cloth used today is imported white cotton. Two pieces roughly a yard (approx 92cm) wide are sewn together to make a large square cloth and the patterns are applied either by tying and stitching with strands of raffia or painting freehand or stencilling with cassava paste: either method resists the dye. Each pattern has one or more individual names (John Picton Register 1971).
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The pattern is called OLOBA or 'the owner of a king.' The central part of the design in each half of the cloth representing King George VI and Queen Mary and is in free-hand devolution of stencil designs which themselves must derive from the designs on shaving mugs produced at the time of their jubillee in 1925. The cloths are known in english as Jubilee cloths. The designs on each side of the central medallion include a lion, a man with a gun, as well as a mironet and Muhammads horse derived from a popular Islamic devotional picture printed in Cairo (John Picton, Register 1971).
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For further information on Adire cloths please consult; Barbour and Simmonds, 1971. "Adire Cloth in Nigeria" Institute of African Studies University of Ibadan: Ibadan
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
1991, BM Room 91, Collecting in the 20th Century
- Acquisition date
- 1971
- Acquisition notes
- Purchased by the vendor at the OKE SENI compound, IBADAN, December 1970.
- Department
- Africa, Oceania and the Americas
- Registration number
- Af1971,35.24
