Woman's wrapper

NameWrapper

CultureYoruba

Dateca. 1960s

Place madeNigeria, Africa

MediumCotton, indigo dye

Dimensions75 × 66 1/8 × 1/8 in. (190.5 × 168 × 0.3 cm)

Credit LineMuseum of International Folk Art, gift of Barbarine Rich, A.2018.4.1

Object numberA.2018.4.1

ProvenanceThese textiles were sourced by Dr. Duncan Clarke, who earned his PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, specializing in aso oke (Nigerian strip weaving). He published a number of books on West African textiles and works as a high-end dealer in London. The donor purchased the textiles from Dr. Clarke. She began selectively collecting textiles many years ago and intended to launch her own private textile museum in a house beside the Wheelwright Museum on Museum Hill in Santa Fe. These plans were stalled and more recently abandoned when her young daughter was discovered to be terminally ill; she began to divest her large textile holdings.

DescriptionAdire eleko cloth with handrawn "ijapa/tortoise" design. This wrapper is made of two lengths of cloth, the pattern of which consists of 56 blocks of three basic patterns. One pattern is of rows of triangular shapes, with circular forms inside and outside of the triangles. Another pattern is of different sized dots. The third pattern has a stylized turtle in the center, with a circular form near the tail. On each side of the turtle are undulating forms which may represent a snake. The remainder of the piece has small dots. On one hem cut of the solid colored reverse are repeated 'Ko (possibly a signature).