Adire Eleko Oluba (“Jubilee”) Cloth
Workshop Of Diko Compound
Description
Subject Matter:
This is an adire eleko oloba (“jubilee” resist-dye cloth) made by dyers (individual names unrecorded) of the Diko compound in Abeokuta, Nigeria, likely in the mid-1960s when adire experienced revived interest and production. The stenciled pattern originated in Abeokuta and was a popular design, as evidenced by a wrapper of the same design from the Diko compound currently held at the National Museum of African Art. The central pattern is based on a portrait of King George V and Queen Mary from their 1935 jubilee, and other motifs include Al-Buraq (the winged horse of Mohammed’s ascension), a mosque, a gunman, birds, a lion, and floral elements. The text along the border reads: “DIKO. AKANBHUN. G” (the name of the maker/s)” and “BOGKO KOSEHIN OLUIHA” (the Yoruba proverb “Everything belongs to God”).
Physical Description:
A large, indigo cloth decorated with a stenciled pattern that includes a central medallion containing a portrait of King George V and Queen Mary surrounded by various figures, animals, floral elements, and a repeating band of text identifying the artists paired with a Yoruba proverb.
Usage Rights:
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