{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O147380"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O147380/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GL4337/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GL4337/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2013GL4337","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2013GL4326","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2013GL4327","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2013GL4328","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2013GL4329","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2013GL4330","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O147380","accessionNumber":"CIRC.592-1965","objectType":"Textile","titles":[{"title":"Àdìrẹ cloth","type":""}],"summaryDescription":"Àdìrẹ is an indigo-dyed cloth traditionally produced by Yoruba women in south-western Nigeria. A range of resist-dye techniques are used to create àdìrẹ patterns, often  incorporating more than one technique in a single cloth. The ground-cloth cotton is folded, stitched, tied or otherwise worked-upon in preparation for dyeing – these  areas resist the dye, creating the cloth's distinctive blue and white patterns. The precise origins of àdìrẹ are unknown, though indigo-dyeing has been seen across West  Africa for centuries. Àdìrẹ has an enduring presence in the region, becoming a popular, everyday cloth, with many women dyeing àdìrẹ of their own design within the  home. Once dyed, àdìrẹ cloth can be wrapped or stitched to create garments, such as a woman's ìró (wrapped skirt). From the 20th century onwards, factory-woven cloth  began to be used – this cloth accepted the dye more easily, creating a finer clarity of design. Whilst factories are now able to mass-produce imitation àdìrẹ, the popularity  of the traditional hand-worked cloth remains, made by local artisans in historic dyeing centres such as Ibadan.\r\n\r\nÀdìrẹ is subcategorised according to the method of resist-dyeing used, each of which carries its own history and produces its own recognisable effect. This particular cloth is an example of àdìrẹ oniko, which specifically uses raffia to create the resist. Sections of the cloth have been tightly tied with raffia; the larger circles are made by raising a point of cloth and then binding the cloth below tightly, leaving a larger round area of white, whilst the smaller circles were created by tying around small stones or guinea-corn seeds in the cloth. The resultant spotted pattern is a type of àdìrẹ oniko known as àdìrẹ eleso, or 'moons and fruits'. \n\nThe cotton cloth of this àdìrẹ was factory-woven, before being hand dyed. As with many example of àdìrẹ, it is composed of  two panels stitched together along the long edges creating one whole piece. This would be worn by women wrapped around the waist with the seam running horizontally, forming an ìró (wrapped skirt). It was bought for the museum in Ibadan, south-western Nigeria in 1964. Àdìrẹ cloths were not particularly prestigious, but during the 1960s they were extremely popular. Part of their success lay in the fact that they were inexpensive and could be made quickly in response to changing fashions.  Patterns would fall in and out of favour; it was said by the woman that bought this cloth that its popularity had peaked 1962.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Two pieces of cotton cloth sewn together to form a shape that is roughly square. Indigo dyed with a pattern of five rows of  large circles, the background is infilled with smaller circles. ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"cotton","id":"AAT14067"},{"text":"Indigo","id":"AAT13055"}],"techniques":[{"text":"resist dyeing","id":"AAT53053"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Known in Yoruba as <i>adire oniko</i> (from the Yoruba word for raffia - <i>iko</i>) the small circles are made by tyeing small seeds or stones into the cloth with raffia while the larger white areas are created by making a point of cloth and then binding it tightly.","categories":[{"text":"Africa","id":"THES49019"},{"text":"Textiles","id":"THES48885"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&F","id":"THES48601"},"images":["2013GL4337","2013GL4326","2013GL4327","2013GL4328","2013GL4329","2013GL4330"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"SHLN","id":"THES49063"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Dress fabric","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Nigeria","id":"x30055"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"Ibadan, South Western Nigeria"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1960s","earliest":"1960-01-01","latest":"1964-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"date":{"text":"1960-1969","earliest":"1960-01-01","latest":"1969-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"CIRC.589-1965","id":"O147379"},"association":""},{"object":{"text":"CIRC.591-1965","id":"O147385"},"association":""},{"object":{"text":"CIRC.594-1965","id":"O147386"},"association":""}],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"181","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"165.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Label on textile: '\"Adire\" (indigo-dyed) cloth. The cotton cloth is tied with raffia and dyed. / West African (Western Nigeria); Contemporary. / Lent by the Victoria and Albert Museum'. One of eight àdìrẹ cloths purchased for the museum by Jane Barbour in the 1960s. All eight cloths were purchased in Ibadan, where Barbour's husband worked at the university. \r\n\r\n\tWe are very grateful to Professor John Picton for his advice in identifying several African textiles held by the V&A. ","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Àdìrẹ cloth, indigo resist-dyed cotton, Ibadan, Nigeria, 1960s","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"Made by women.  <i>Adire Oniko</i> is indigo dyed cotton where raffia has been used as the resist agent , from the Yoruba word for raffia <i>Iko</i>.  The small circles are made by tying small seeds into the cloth.  The larger circles are made by raising a point of cloth and then binding it tightly.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"Jane Barbour who acquired this cloth for the museum referred to this pattern is known as <i>olusapeloso</i> - moons and fruit.  However, it is important to be careful about assigning names to adire cloths as they change over time and space.","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Certain cloths became celebrated symbols of independence. In Nigeria, attention turned to àdìrẹ, an indigo resistdyed cloth historically made by the Yoruba which was part of local fashion in many areas of Nigeria. Tourists also bought examples to take back home, raising àdìrẹ’s profile internationally. Although factories mass-produced imitations, the popularity of the traditional hand-worked cloth remained, made by local artisans in historic dyeing centres like Ibadan. Meanwhile, Nigerian designers incorporated àdìrẹ into their contemporary designs, securing its future as a fashion fabric. (CIRC.307-1964, CIRC.588-1965, CIRC.592-1965, CIRC.593-1965, CIRC.755-1967) V&amp;A, Room 40, <i>Africa Fashion</i>","date":{"text":"02/07/2022 - 16/04/2023","earliest":"2022-07-02","latest":"2023-04-16"}}],"partNumbers":["CIRC.592-1965"],"accessionNumberNum":"592","accessionNumberPrefix":"CIRC","accessionYear":1965,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2008-03-12","availableToBook":false}}