Man's trousers (Sokoto)

NameTrousers; pants

Artist Artist Not Recorded

CultureYoruba

Dateca. 1960s

Place madeNigeria, Africa

MediumCotton, indigo, alari (cassava root)

Dimensions39 × 32 11/16 × 3/8 in. (99 × 83 × 1 cm)

Credit LineMuseum of International Folk Art, gift of Barbarine Rich, A.2018.4.14

Object numberA.2018.4.14

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.

DescriptionThese trousers match the tunic (A.2018.4.13). The trousers (sokoto) are crafted from aso oke strips featuring warp stripes and warp ikat patterns, matching the tunic's design. The tunic is further adorned with machine-embroidered knot motifs, commonly known as pako (literally “chewing stick”). Both garments are lined with pale blue cotton for added structure and refinement. The threads are likely dyed with indigo and alari, a natural magenta dye derived from cassava root, which is used to create the ikat patterns. Ikat patterning appears in both men’s and women’s textiles but was traditionally reserved for ceremonial use. The magenta ikat, in particular, was a hallmark of women’s marriage cloth (oparo), customarily gifted by the groom’s family. This technique began to decline in popularity after the 1960s.