Okene cloth -- Igbirra, southern Nigeria (Murnane, 1978)

Item — Box: 16, slide: 30.22.23

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

Slides of Africa from various sources; these slides document a variety of topics such as agriculture, landscapes, city scenes, villages, architecture, industry, transportation, commerce, and people, from throughout Africa during the 20th century.

Dates

Majority of material found within 1960 - 2000

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on use of the materials in the department for research; all patrons must comply with federal copyright regulations. To inquire about access to this collection, please contact the Herskovits Library at africana@northwestern.edu.

Extent

From the Collection: 99 Boxes (99 slide boxes.)

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Additional Description

General

Okene cloth, a prestigious fabric woven by the Igbirra women of southern Nigeria, is most often identified as a "silk" (actually rayon) cloth, with elaborate overall inlaid patterning on a smaller scale than in Akwete cloth. Okene weavers produce and market a wide range of cloth, from the simple cotton fabric to the currently popular prestige cloth woven in strips of cotton and metallic threads. Renowned for fine quality, the Okene women are experimental weavers, incorporating popular techniques and patterns from Yoruba men weavers and Akwete women weavers. Made on the typical West African loom, it is woven ans sold in the traditional fashion of 3 matching panels, each approximately 24" by 84". Two pieces are sewn together for the woman's wrapper, and one is used for the headtie.