Aso oke ("cloth from up country" / "top cloth"); etu is a specific deep indigo variant
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. Individual strips, often only a few inches wide, are woven with tight, complex patterning before being sewn edge to edge to form larger cloth panels used for ceremonial garments — wrappers (iro), blouses (buba), head-ties (gele), and men's robes (agbada). Historically a predominantly male craft due to the physical demands and technical skill required by the narrow-strip loom (in contrast to the upright single-heddle loom traditionally used by Yoruba women, whose weaving has declined drastically), aso-oke remains one of the most vibrant and commercially successful textile traditions in Africa, with artisans in Iseyin actively resisting mechanization even as global demand — fueled by the Nigerian diaspora and international fashion recognition — has surged.
Risk level: Stable · Not independently inscribed
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