Alokun

From the Minneapolis Institute of Art record

Adire is a popular form of surface ornamentation in the Yoruba culture in which designs are created by resist-dye techniques. This is an example of adire eleko, a technique in which a paste is hand-painted onto the fabric using the quill of a feather prior to immersing the cloth in indigo; the paste is then rinsed away, revealing the design. Rather than being purely decorative, the design motifs on adire textiles are often intended to play a protective rold and have mythical significance for the Yoruba. After the cloth dries the fabric is beaten, which presses the fabric and produces a sheen. Additional indigo paste is beaten into the cloth, subsequently rubbing off on the wearer's skin for a much appreciated beauty product. Nigeria, Africa