Akwete cloth is a unique hand woven textile produced in

Igboland Igboland (Standard ), also known as Southeastern Nigeria (but extends into South-Southern Nigeria), is the indigenous homeland of the Igbo people. It is a cultural and common linguistic region in southern Nigeria. Geographically, it is divided b ...

for which the town of

Akwete Akwete town is the headquarters of Ukwa East local government area of Abia state, Nigeria. Akwete is located 18 Kilometers northeast of the oil-rich city of Port Harcourt and 18 Kilometers southeast of the commercial city of Aba. Akwete is an im ...

Abia state Abia State ( ig, Ȯha Abia) is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, it is bordered to the north and northeast by the states of Enugu, and Ebonyi, Imo State to the west, Cross River State to the east, Akwa Ibom State to the ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

is famous. The traditional

Igbo Igbo may refer to: * Igbo people, an ethnic group of Nigeria * Igbo language, their language * anything related to Igboland, a cultural region in Nigeria See also * Ibo (disambiguation) * Igbo mythology * Igbo music * Igbo art * * Igbo-Ukwu, a ...

weaving as demonstrated in Akwete processes

sisal Sisal (, ) (''Agave sisalana'') is a species of flowering plant native to southern Mexico, but widely cultivated and naturalized in many other countries. It yields a stiff fibre used in making rope and various other products. The term sisal ma ...

hemp Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a botanical class of ''Cannabis sativa'' cultivars grown specifically for industrial or medicinal use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest growing plants o ...

raffia Raffia palms (''Raphia'') are a genus of about twenty species of palms native to tropical regions of Africa, and especially Madagascar, with one species (''R. taedigera'') also occurring in Central and South America. ''R. taedigera'' is the sour ...

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...

or other fibres into finished products.''Akwete cloth: An Igbo textile art'' Vanguard Newspaper JULY 26, 2012 While the coarse raffia materials are used by masquerades and in the past as headgear for warriors among other uses, the hemp material was used to weave towels, ropes and handbags. The more comfortable and colorful spun cotton is used to weave cloth for everyday wearing.

Technique

Weaving is done on a loom. There are two types of loom, the horizontal loom used by men and the vertical loom used by women. Traditionally most of the weaving is done by women. A continuous warp thread gives a solid color background for the motifs. A two color warp background is also used which produces a blended color effect. An iridescent color effect can also be produced when the warp is one color and the base weft (as opposed to decorative motive weft) another.Akwete Cloth and Its Motifs, Marian Davis, African Arts Vol. 7, No. 3 (Spring, 1974), p. 22 Published by: UCLA James S. Coleman African Studies Center Fabrics are woven to be single faced or double faced, that is the motifs show on both sides. Base fabric is mostly low twist yarn cotton, with the decorative motifs consisting of coarser or heavier spun cotton, low twist silk, or shiny rayon. Cotton and rayon combinations give a multicolored, brocaded look. Earth colors seem to predominate traditionally, but the contemporary access to imported dyes and colored cotton thread has broadened the spectrum.

Motifs

The weavers in Akwete claim to know over a hundred different motifs but not more than three or four are usually used simultaneously on one piece of cloth. Traditionally the creator of a new motif is granted an unwritten copyright. This is explained by the inspirational aspect of the development of motifs in the society, certain motifs being regarded as gifts of creative inspiration from a divinity.Akwete Cloth and Its Motifs, Marian Davis African Arts Vol. 7, No. 3 (Spring, 1974), p. 25 Published by: UCLA James S. Coleman African Studies Center Social status plays a role in the wearing of Akwete cloth, certain motifs being reserved for royalty, or used as a talisman to protect warriors going into battle or women in pregnancy. Some patterns are reserved for special families or occasions because of circumstances pertaining to motif origin.

Notes

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References

Akwete Cloth and Its Motifs
Marian Davis, African Arts Vol. 7, No. 3 (Spring, 1974), pp. 22–25 Published by: UCLA James S. Coleman African Studies Center *
Akwete cloth: An Igbo textile art
' Vanguard Newspaper published JULY 26, 2012 by McPhilips Nwachukwu and Appollos Oziogu Ibebabuchi

External links

The British Museum
picture and description, Register 1956, Cat. no. 80 : Cotton cloth (Akwete) Exhibited: 1995, London, Barbican Art Gallery, The Art of African Textiles
The British Museum
picture and description, museum number Af1934,0307.115 acquisition date 1934, donated by: Charles A Beving.
Powerhousemuseum
Website picture of Akwete cloth retrieved 03.04.2013

Technique

Motifs

Notes

References

External links

Further reading