The Depository · Browse · Africa
The Depository documents 11 techniques in Nigeria; by risk level: 4 endangered, 5 vulnerable, 2 stable. Each record opens with a public summary; the full research record is free to view once registered.
The resist-dyeing of cotton cloth in indigo by Yoruba women of southwestern Nigeria, using tying, stitching, and starch-paste techniques to create white-on-blue geometric and symbolic patterns.
The large-scale immersion dyeing of cotton cloth in deep indigo using earthen ground-pits at Kofar Mata in Kano, northern Nigeria, among the oldest continuously operating dye sites in West Africa, dating back over 500 years.
The carving of Gelede wooden helmet-mask headdresses by Yoruba sculptors of southwestern Nigeria and the Ketu region of the Republic of Benin, worn atop the head during Gelede masquerade performances honoring the spiritual power of elderly…
The artisanal, small-scale extraction of rubellite and paraiba tourmaline from granite pegmatite deposits in Oyo State, southwestern Nigeria, one of only three commercial sources of paraiba tourmaline in the world (alongside Brazil and…
The weaving of long, narrow strips of prestige cloth on a horizontal narrow-strip double-heddle loom by Yoruba weavers of southwestern Nigeria, centered on the town of Iseyin.
The lost-wax casting of bronze and brass into commemorative heads, plaques, bells, and figurative sculpture by the Igun Eronmwon guild of Benin City, Edo State — the highest-ranking guild of visual artists within the historic Benin…
The combined leatherwork, weaving, dyeing, embroidery, and blacksmithing craft producing the elaborate horse trappings and rider regalia of the Durbar festival, a cavalry procession and royal-homage tradition held during Eid celebrations…
The construction of Ijele, the largest and most monumental masquerade of Sub-Saharan Africa, built by Igbo communities of Anambra State for celebrations, burial ceremonies, and harvest festivals during the dry season.
The hand-building, molding, and firing of red (pupa) and black (dudu) clay vessels by women potters of Ilorin, Kwara State, home to Nigeria's longest-documented pottery heritage and its largest concentration of female ceramic artisans.
The tanning, natural-dyeing, and finishing of goat hides into soft, durable leather by artisans of Kano and Sokoto in northern Nigeria, historic hubs of the trans-Saharan trade for centuries.
The climbing, incision, and sap-collection craft producing palm wine from oil palm and raffia palm trees, practiced across southern and eastern Nigeria among the Yoruba, Igbo, Ijaw, and other ethnic groups.