The project documents the step-by-step processes in the production of patterned or decorated woven cloths of the Yorùbá people, such as aṣọ alápásá, aṣọ alábẹ, aṣọ ẹlẹ́ya/jáwùú, aṣọ onílà, aṣọ ọlọ́kọ̀ méjì, and aṣọ olókuru méjì. Alápásá fabrics are named after apásá, the flat and smooth length of wooden weaving sword or pick-up stick that is used to control selected warp threads behind the heddles in the process of making patterned or decorative cloths with weft float designs. Alápásá decorative weaves come in variety of designs: itagbe or ọlọ́nà, a shawl or shoulder cloth woven for Ògbóni or Òṣùgbó fraternity members; ọ̀já, a wraparound baby sling or baby strapping sash; aṣọ olórúkọ, a cloth with letter inscriptions; and aṣọ oníbátánì, a damask weave, among others.
- Aṣọ alábẹ is an ikat fabric, that is, a cloth made from resist-dyed yarns.
- Aṣọ ẹlẹ́ya and ńjáwùú are eyelet or openwork fabrics, with holes created on them by means of twine threads that are used to tie groups of warp threads together. Ńjáwùú is different from ẹlẹ́ya because the twine threads used to create its holes are not cut off but floated along the face of the cloth to the next row of holes, thereby creating an additional design or decoration on the cloth.
- Aṣọ onílà is a cloth with warp stripes.
- Aṣọ ọlọ́kọ̀ méjì, literally a two-shuttle weave, is a cloth with weft stripes. It is so named because the weft stripes, usually of different colours, are made with weft inserted into at least two shuttles, one for each colour.
- Aṣọ olókuru méjì, literally a two-sled weave, is a fabric whose weaving involves a split shed or supplementary warp floats. It is so named because two warp bundles placed on separate dragsleds (òkùku) are used in the weaving technique that produces this decorative design.
The goal of this project is to document all of the above-mentioned woven cloths at weaving sheds in notable weaving towns in Yorùbáland, such as Ìṣẹ́yìn, Ọ̀yọ́, and Ìbàdàn. The documentation will incorporate all the processes involved in the weaving of these cloths, including warping, thread winding, weft making, starching, etc. The data for this documentation project will be collected through participant observation and interview methods. The consultants for the project are professional men and woven weavers with over ten years of experience.
Principal Investigator:
Wale Ogunyale
Collaborator:
Delight Inioluwa
Location of Research:
Ìṣẹ́yìn, Ọ̀yọ́, Ìbàdàn, Nigeria
Host Institution:
University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
Top Banner Image: An olókuru méjì, split-shed weave, woven by Usman Agbagba in Iseyin. Photo credit: Wale Ogunyale.