
Ikat is one of the most complicated dying and weaving techniques. Yarns are tightly bound to resist dye, and the textile is dyed several times. The finest ceremonial ikat textiles in the world come from Indonesia, and the most famous are from the island of Sumba.



Batik refers to a wax resist dyeing technique. The wax is applied to the cloth by hand, and the waxed areas do not absorb color when the textile is dyed.



The Baule people of the Ivory Coast are known for their vibrant textiles, predominantly indigo. Baule cloth is woven on small strip looms, and strips are then sewn together.


Made by the Mossi people of Burkina Faso.

These shirts were made by nuns in 19th century France. Their work supported their convents. Field workers wore these shirts before the industrial revolution popularized machine-woven fabric. Many of the original owners had their initials embroidered on the front.

