Dark Blue Yoruba Tie-Dyed Textile Mali 52x22 Inch

Starch resist, a time-honored dyeing method in Yoruba tie-dye fabric production, involves applying a starch paste onto fabric in precise designs, creating areas that resist dye penetration. This traditional technique, used for centuries by the Yoruba people in West Africa, begins with preparing a starch paste from cassava flour and water, applied onto the fabric using stencils or by hand. After drying, the fabric is dyed, with the paste areas blocking the dye, resulting in intricate and distinct patterns. Washing removes excess dye and starch paste, unveiling a vibrant, one-of-a-kind fabric used for traditional Yoruba clothing and decorations. Passed down through generations, this technique demands skill and patience but yields functional, exquisite works of art, highlighting its cultural significance and enduring legacy in Yoruba heritage.

We do not recommend laundering textiles and do not accept returns of textiles that have been laundered in any manner. Even dry cleaning is too much for some of these antique textiles. For some of them, a very gentle HAND washing (NEVER MACHINE, on any setting) in cool water with a very gentle detergent works, but even then, dyes may not be colorfast, and fabric may be less strong than it appears.

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