Tie and Dye in Nigeria

Adire is the name given to indigo dyed cloth produced by Yoruba women of south western Nigeria using a variety of resist dye techniques. Adire translates as tie and dye, and the earliest cloths were probably simple tied designs on locally-woven hand-spun cotton cloth much like those still produced in Mali. In the early decades of the twentieth century however, the new access to large quantities of imported shirting material made possible by the spread of European textile merchants in certain Yoruba towns, notably Abeokuta, enabled women dyers to become both artists and entrepreneurs in a booming new medium. New techniques of resist dyeing were developed, most notably the practice of hand-painting designs on the cloth with a cassava starch paste prior to dyeing. 

Tie-dye is considered to be a product of pre-history. Even though fabric was perishable and long ago disintegrated, archaeologists still established that a variety of stamps could have been used for printing fabric five thousand years ago in Mesopotamia and India. In one thousand B.C., cloths such as those used to wrap mummies were found in dyed form in Egypt. It's possible that the dying techniques trekked through various trade routes from India to Egypt.

Tie-dye techniques have also been used for centuries in the Hausa region of West Africa, with renowned indigo dye pits located in and around Kano, Nigeria. The tie-dyed clothing is then richly embroidered in traditional patterns. It has been suggested that these African techniques were the inspiration for the tie-dyed garments identified with hippie fashion. 

As you plan on shopping later in the year, you can try adire for your family and friends.