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Woman's Àdìre Wrapper

A work made of cotton, plain weave; resist dyed.

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  • A work made of cotton, plain weave; resist dyed.

Date:

Mid–20th century

Artist:

Yoruba
Nigeria

About this artwork

Àdìre wrappers—wound around the torso and tucked in or secured just under the arms—celebrate Yoruba women’s technical expertise. The Yoruban word àdìre translates as “tied and dyed” and the wrappers are made from large panels of hand-woven cloth that is resist-dyed with indigo. Here, the artist painted cassava starch paste directly onto the cloth by hand, protecting the areas that would remain dye-free.

Indigo was a source of wealth and status, and is associated with purity and knowledge. For the Yoruba, a cloth deeply saturated in indigo (the result of multiple immersions into the dye vat) is most valuable.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Textiles

Culture

Yoruba

Title

Woman's Àdìre Wrapper

Place

Nigeria (Object made in:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1925–1975

Medium

Cotton, plain weave; resist dyed

Dimensions

199.4 × 172 cm (78 1/2 × 67 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Gil and Roda Graham

Reference Number

2002.534

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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