Woman’s weave marriage cloth, “alara” (“something wonderful”)

NameWoman’s wrapper cloth

Artist Artist Not Recorded

CultureIgbomina Yoruba

Dateca. 1920-1940s

Place madeEsie, Kware, Nigeria, Africa

MediumCotton, indigo dye

Dimensions67 11/16 × 53 1/8 × 1/4 in. (172 × 135 × 0.6 cm)

Credit LineMuseum of International Folk Art, gift of Barbarine Rich, A.2018.4.11

Object numberA.2018.4.11

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.

DescriptionIndigo dyed, heavy handspun cotton cloth woven by women on upright single heddle looms. Two panels with supplementary weft float motifs (stylized animals, koran writing boards). The finished cloth has been overdyed to lessen the contrast. Rare regional style of woman’s marriage cloth, distinctive to the town of Esie. In anticipation of weddings, a mother would weave a series of five named marriage cloths for her daughter. “Alara” is the last and most prestigious variety, only made within the wealthiest or most skilled weaving families. This practice disappeared after the 1960s.