Textiles texts and symbols : women dyers and symbols in the Indigo textile dyeing production process in Osogbo Nigeria

Abstract

English: Despite the emergence of narrative and humanistic anthropological perspectives on thriving indigenous textile technologies, indigo dyed textile products are often read as homogenous products, devoid of Yoruba women-dyers' symbolic narratives. This ethnographic research on indigo textile dyeing in Osogbo examines the relationship between textile production and ritual by focusing on how indigenous peoples are stimulated to create what they make and the textile makers' unit of expression. A key argument throughout the thesis is that the dyeing act is a ritual performance by women dyers in Osogbo a re-enacted symbolic performance of the formation and evolution of human sociality and the socialization of human beings. It is also a symbolic representation of motherhood (parenthood when it comes to the societal level) a process of inscribing the kadara (destiny) of a child and the development of iwa (character) and ewa (beauty) to be an omoluabi (good and cultured child) in Yoruba ontology. The thesis also explores alkaline water production processes as part of the indigenous indigo textile dyeing processes and the use of adire textile for communication in Osogbo the notions of colour and colour symbolism and the use of texts, proverbs and images on dyed textiles as communicative tools specifically to show the transformatory nature of rituals in indigo textile dyeing.

Sepedi: Go sa šetšwe go hlagelela ga maikutlo a kanegelo le tša thuto ya batho tša botho ka ga theknolotši ye e atlegago ya dilo tša go dirwa ka lešela tša setlogo, ditšweletšwa tša lešela tše di tailwego ka indigo gantši di balwa bjalo ka ditšweletšwa tše di swanago, tšeo di se nago dikanegelo tša seswantšhetšo tša basadi-ba go taya ba Yoruba. Nyakišišo ye ya setšo ka ga go taya lešela la indigo ka Osogbo e hlahloba kamano magareng ga tšweletšo ya lešela le moetlo ka go tsepelela ka fao batho ba setlogo ba hlohleletšwago go hlama seo ba se dirago le yuniti ya boitaodišo ya batšweletši ba dilo tša go dirwa ka lešela. Kgangkgolo go ralala le thesese ke gore tiro ya go taya ke tiragatšo ya moetlo ka basadi ba go taya ka Osogbo tiragatšo ya seka yeo e dirilwego gape ya go bopša le tlhagelelo ya leago la batho le kamano ya batho. Gape ke lesawo la kemedi go bomma (go ba motswadi maemong a setšhaba) tshepedišo ya go ngwala kadara (pheletšo) ya ngwana le tlhabollo ya iwa (semelo) le ewa (botse) go ba omoluabi (ngwana yo botse le wa setšo) katlhago ya go ba ga Yoruba. Thesese e lekola gape ditshepedišo tša tšweletšo ya meetse a alekhalaene bjalo ka karolo ya ditshepedišo tša setlogo tša go taya dilo tša go dirwa ka lešela la indigo le tšhomišo ya lešela la adire bakeng sa kgokaganyo ya dikgopolo tša tshwantšhišo ya mmala le mmala ka Osogbo le tšhomišo ya dingwalwa, diema le diswantšho ka dilo tše di tailwego ka lešela bjalo ka didirišwa tša kgokagano ka go lebanya go bontšha phetogo ya tlhago ya meetlo ka go taya ka lešela la indigo.

Afrikaans: Ten spyte van die opkoms van narratiewe en humanistiese antropologiese perspektiewe op florerende inheemse tekstieltegnologieë, word indigo-gekleurde tekstielprodukte dikwels as homogene produkte gelees, sonder die simboliese narratiewe van Yoruba-vrouekleurders. Hierdie etnografiese navorsing oor indigo-tekstielkleur in Osogbo ondersoek die verhouding tussen tekstielproduksie en ritueel deur te fokus op hoe inheemse volke gestimuleer word om te skep wat hulle maak en die tekstielmakers se metode van uitdrukking. n Sleutelargument dwarsdeur die proefskrif is dat die kleurhandeling 'n rituele uitvoering deur vroulike kleurders in Osogbo is, 'n heruitgevoerde simboliese uitvoering van die vorming en evolusie van menslike sosialiteit en die sosialisering van mense. Dit is ook 'n simboliese voorstelling van moederskap (ouerskap wanneer dit kom by die maatskaplike vlak), 'n proses om die kadara (bestemming) van 'n kind in te skryf en die ontwikkeling van iwa (karakter) en ewa (skoonheid) om 'n omoluabi (goeie en gekultiveerde kind) in die Yoruba-ontologie te wees. Die proefskrif ondersoek ook alkaliese waterproduksieprosesse as deel van die inheemse indigo-tekstielkleurprosesse en die gebruik van adire-tekstiel vir kommunikasie in Osogbo, die begrippe kleur en kleursimboliek en die gebruik van tekste, spreekwoorde en beelde op gekleurde tekstiele as kommunikatiewe instrumente spesifiek om die transformerende aard van rituele in indigo-tekstielkleur te toon.

IsiZulu: Ngaphandle kokuvela kwemibono ephathelene ne-anthropholoji elandisayo neyesintu kubuchwepheshe obuphumelelayo bendwangu yomdabu, imikhiqizo yendwangu edayiwe ye-indigo ivamise ukufundwa njengemikhiqizo yohlobo lunye, engenako ukulandisa okuwuphawu olungumfanekiso wabadayi besifazane bama-Yoruba. Lolu cwaningo lwe-ethnografi yokudaywa kwezindwangu ze-indigo e-Osogbo luhlola ubudlelwano phakathi kokukhiqizwa kwezindwangu kanye nesimo semkonzo ngokugxila ekutheni abantu bomdabu bakhuthazwa kanjani ukudala abakwenzayo kanye neyunithi yokuvezwa imibono yabenzi bezindwangu. Ukuphikisana okusemqoka kulo lonke lolu cwaningo ukuthi isenzo sokudaya siwukwenza okungokwesiko kwabadayi besifazane base-Osogbo ukusebenza okungokomfanekiso okwenziwa kabusha emuva kokubunjwa nokuziphendukela kwemvelo yomphakathi wabantu kanye nokuxhumana kwabantu. Kuphinde futhi kube ukumelwa okuwuphawu lokuba ngumama (ngumzali uma kukhulunywa ngezinga lomphakathi) inqubo yokuloba i-kadara (odalelwe kona) yengane kanye nokuthuthukiswa kwe -iwa (ukuziphatha) kanye ne-ewa (ubuhle) ukuze ube i -omoluabi (ingane enhle futhi ekhuliswe ngenhlonipho) ngokuhambisana ne-ontholoji yesi-Yoruba. ucwaningo luphinde futhi luhlole izinqubo zokukhiqiza amanzi anjenge-alkali njengengxenye yezinqubo zokudaya izindwangu ze-indigo zomdabu kanye nokusetshenziswa kwezindwangu ze-adire njengokuxhumana e-Osogbo imibono yombala kanye nophawu lombala kanye nokusetshenziswa kwamatheksti, izaga nezithombe phezu kwezindwangu ezidayiwe njengamathuluzi okuxhumana ikakhulukazi ukukhombisa imvelo eguquguqukayo yempilo yenkonzo yokudaya indwangu ye-indigo.