Yoruba Blanket

This Yoruba blanket was made in the 20th century in Nigeria. The ground cloth is made out of cotton and the supplementary weave is made out of blue and white silk that reads “OLUWA NI PEKOYENI”.

This blanket showcases three materials that feature prominently in Nigerian textile production: cotton, silk, and indigo. Though the silk supplementary weave was not dyed with indigo, the ground cloth likely was. Indigo is a popular dyeing material across West Africa. The Kofor Mata dye-pits in Nigeria’s Kano have been in use since the 14th century, though production has slowed since the center’s heyday.  Cotton is the main material weavers use to make their textiles throughout West Africa, which has largely replaced raffia palm fiber, and undyed wild silk is spun in Nigeria.