Tortoise pattern adire wrapper

Yoruba dyers used a technique called adire eleko to create the designs on this textile. The artist used a starchy paste applied with the quill of a feather to paint the design onto the fabric, then immersed it in indigo. After dying, she rinsed away the paste to reveal the design. The main design element on this cloth is the turtle, a popular character in Yoruba folklore that often plays the role of a cunning trickster.