User:Sketchy Bee/AkweteClothDraft

Introduction
Akwete, known also as Ndoki are an African community living in the area of Abia State in present day Nigeria. The Akwete community is popularly known for the long lasting tradition of the production, trading, utilization, and selling of Akwete cloth, created through a process aptly called Akwete weaving or “aruru” literally meaning “something woven”. It is a unique, hand woven textile created with processed sisal, hemp, raffia, cotton, or other fibers into finished products. While the coarse raffia materials are used for 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 casual wearing. The tradition and techniques of Akwete weaving is attributed to a female weaver named Dada Nwakata some time between the 14th and 16th centuries. She acquired Acham cloth, a woven cloth created and distributed for sale and trade by Pdoki (Portuguese) traders. Studying the structure of the cloth, Dada Nwakata created the first Akwete cloth patterns in secret, the pieces, techniques, and patterns shared to the Akwete community after her death. Akwete cloth is woven solely by women on a vertical loom, and as Akwete cloth quickly rose to the area’s primary trade product along the Nile Delta during the decline of the palm oil trade. Akwete cloths contain many motifs. Today, women continue to produce Akwete cloth for a wide, global market.

History
Multiple creation stories exist for Awekete cloth, though evidence of their existence goes back as far as the 17th and 18th century, possibly even to the origin of Igboland itself. The Federal Commission of Museums and Monuments in Nigeria has excavated pieces of Akwete cloth dating back to the ninth century.

Popular oral tradition states that a woman named Dada Nwakata was the first well known Akwete weaver. She helped further the weaving practice by introducing threads from the Acham cloth, acquired through trade with the Portuguese in the 14th-16th century. Studying the structures of the cloth, Dada developed a style similar to Acham completely in secret. A deaf and mute friends of hers later revealed Dada’s weaving patterns and techniques after her death.

Traditionally, the women of the family would pass down weaving techniques to their daughters and other female members of the family. This knowledge is usually kept from those outside the community. However, women married into an akwete household would also learn how to weave.

Trade along the Niger Delta in communication with other groups in Igboland sparked the desire for Akwete cloth. As the palm oil and kernel trade declined, Akwete cloth quickly rose to prominence as Akwete’s primary trade commodity. This turned what was once a part time occupation for women into a full-time occupation and tradition. Recognition for Akwete cloth and its complexity was further gained when Europeans began to spread colonialism throughout Africa. Additionally, Europeans offered Akwete women training on modern weaving techniques and access to foreign waving materials. By the 1800’s most Akwete weavers used only imported cotton and found ways to create patterns more quickly, such as sewing two or three stripes together. Access to European weaving methods additionally led to the Akwete utilizing the 2yd long European standard size for cloth. Many weavers additionally embraced the textures of imported silk within their work and were inspired to replicate foreign patterns or create new designs inspired by them. The use of machine made yarn additionally allowed Akwete weavers to improve the quality of their work and present the cloths to a vastly larger market. Another influential change to Akwete weaving was the creation and utilization of the broadloom in 1946. It was a much larger loom that reduced weaving time and allowed for larger cloths to be created. However, it was quite expensive so many Akwete women weren’t able to afford it.

Use
Akwete fabric is used by both people in Nigeria and exported to other countries. Among the Akwete people, the cloth is used to signify wealth or power, and it is primarily worn by women as wraps or loincloths (though men have been noted to wear them occasionally), both for everyday use and for ceremonial purposes. For example, Akwete cloth can be used as a wedding dowry, as well as decorations for royal burial sites. Everyday uses range from dresses, covers, wraps, wall decorations, and bedspreads.

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.[2] 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.[5] Essentially, the gods grant the weaver a pre-established copyright to the pattern produced. Motifs and themes are additionally commonly derived from dreams.

In terms of trade with other cultures, a commonly traded cloth was “Awka Miri” (Cloth of the water) translating to “towel” and was used as a bathing cloth. It was woven as either a white cloth or a white cloth with indigo stripes. “Tortoise” or “Ikaki” is the most commonly produced motif and pattern today. Traditionally, it was created solely for royalty; anyone who wore Ikaki that was not royal would be sold into slavery. This motif used the image of the tortoise, viewed as a wise and cunning creature symbolic of chieftaincy. It was also used for coronation and royal burials. It additionally represented peace. Ikaki itself has subcategories of motifs, Ikaki’s tortoises motif is the first and original pattern. Ijebi Ode is the second type. The third, called Blandgidi or Plandigi “blanket” contains a background with a solid color decorated with repeated flowers, flags, birds, or animals.

Social status plays a role in the wearing of Akwete cloth, certain motifs being reserved for royalty, such as Ikaki, or used as a talisman to protect warriors going into battle or women in pregnancy, such as the “Ebe” motif. Another example of this tradition is Nnadede cloth. The oral legend describes the triumphant return of a famous warrior in the 1860’s, whose father presented him with the cloth upon returning to Akwete. The pattern was only used only for status and royal ceremonies, but gradually became a commonly used design in Akwete weaving. Upon the arrival of Christianity to Akwete, weavers crafted the “Ikperendioma” pattern, meaning “the good people’s knees.” This motif displayed kneeling Christians worshiping in a churchlike setting. Other motifs include traditional beliefs, legends, common tools, household items, and plants.

In recent times, Akwete weaving patterns have begun to display themes relevant to Nigeria as a whole, utilizing the design and colors of the Nigerian flag, the coat of arms and celebrating the Black Festival of the Arts in Nigeria.