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The Igbo Tribe design mask to represent and symbolize important roles during rituals, celebrations, and counsels.

The history began with the tribe absorbing other arts and beliefs from neighboring tribes

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The courtship dance of the Wodaabe - Youssef

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The courtship dance of the Wodaabe - Youssef

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This courtship dance of Wodaabe is a human mating ritual from the Wodaabe tribe. Men do this dance so they can attract young marriageable women and they'll judge the best men who do the dance the best.

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Often married at young with their fathers choosing their husbands for them

The difficulty it is for the women of the tribe to get education anywhere past secondary school.

https://maasaigirlseducation.org/the-need/the-life-of-a-maasai-woman/

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In tradition once married women will wear Zulu's to signify their married status. And young ladies once they knew who there husbands would be they would start to sew in there hats to symbolize that they have chosen their husbands.

https://www.plu.edu/africanartcollection/personal-objects/zulu-hat-1/learn-more-zulu-hat-1/#:~:text=Once%20married%2C%20a%20Zulu%20woman,symbolic%20role%2C%20wore%20nearly%20none.

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This valley stretches from the Middle East in the north to Mozambique in the south. The rift has been a rich source of hominid fossils that allow the study of human evolution. It is well known for volcanoes, hot springs, geysers, and frequent earthquakes.

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Neck rings are worn to signify wealth and status. They are also worn for beauty purposes, to stretch their neck.

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An Igbo mask, known as Mgbedike- Alex Papa

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An Igbo mask, known as Mgbedike- Alex Papa

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-Igbo wood carvers create and elaborate masks that are worn during performances intended to venerate and communicate with the dead. The mask is a way of communing with influential spirits, enforcing order, and expressing social values.

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The Maasai are semi-nomadic and need a lot of land to roam. They have not faired well in modern Africa. Up until recently, the only way for a Maasai boy to achieve warrior status was to single-handedly kill a lion with a spear. This is one of the reasons even the British colonizers, who drove them out, had great respect for them.

https://maasaiwilderness.org/maasai

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The Igbo masks are made of wood or fabrics and they are used in sacred rituals such as initiations, second burials, and public festivals.

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They used these disks for tradition and its been passed down from generation to generation. Also the area they live in is highly visited due to many people wanting to learn their culture.

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Basatho heritage blankets symbolize fertility and growth. One of the other main purposes of the blanket is for warmth, but also to repel rain and water.

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Bazin: A fabric from Mali - Luke Johnson

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Bazin: A fabric from Mali - Luke Johnson

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Bazin is a fabric, created in West Africa, made from hand dyed cotton. It is described as stiff with a "vibrant sheen". Bazin is commonly used to create Boubou's, long, loose, and vibrant outerwear worn by men and women in West Africa.

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Bazin after manufacturing

Bazin (or basin) is a West African fabric with its origin in Mali, made from hand-dyed cotton, resulting in a damask textile known for its stiffness and vibrant sheen. It is primarily recognized as the most commonly used fabric for crafting a Boubou, a long, loose traditional outerwear worn by both men and women, particularly in West Africa.

The process of crafting Bazin begins with cotton damask fabric. Hand-dyeing, a meticulous and often labor-intensive task undertaken by skilled women, characterizes this traditional artistry. The initial steps involve importing materials, predominantly cotton, and occasionally silk or wool from Germany, the Netherlands, or China. Following material acquisition, the fabric is precisely cut to standard dimensions.

To transform the white damask into vibrant Bazin, an elaborate dyeing process ensues. The fabric undergoes immersion in a dye bath, followed by rinsing and draining. This cycle is repeated until the desired color and intricate patterns emerge. Subsequently, the dyed Bazin undergoes a thorough cold water wash to eliminate any remaining products. The final step, essential for preventing fabric tearing, involves sun-drying.

Women dyers in Bamako

Originally, Bazin was dyed with natural indigo, utilizing ash-based potash and clay in a harmless dyeing process. However, since the 1990s, manufacturing processes have evolved with the adoption of chemical dyes, caustic soda, and hydrosulfate. Upon selecting the desired dye, caustic soda and hydrosulfate are dissolved in water. This chemical reaction enhances the resistance of the dye on cotton, marking a modernization of Bazin production techniques while preserving its rich cultural heritage.

Bazin fabrics being dried on a football field in Mali

Bazin production comprises three distinct types, each offering a unique appeal and varying in affordability:

Premium Bazin: The premium bazin stands out with its crafting technique, utilizing 100% fine cotton of superior quality. When exposed to dye, it emits an exceptional shine, establishing it as the epitome of quality among the three types.

Mid-Grade Bazin: The mid-grade bazin is the result of Chinese competition, producing a variant of inferior quality compared to the premium bazin. Despite reduced quality, it presents a more affordable option, costing about two times less than its higher-grade counterpart.

Budget-Friendly Bazin: The budget-friendly bazin caters to smaller budgets, providing an affordable alternative that costs up to four times less than the premium bazin. This type allows individuals with limited means to access the elegance of bazin.

Distinguishing between these types is often a skill mastered by women and Bazin sellers. However, a hands-on approach, where individuals see and touch the fabric, makes it easy to identify the premium bazin due to its unique texture that sets it apart from the other variants.

Embroidery technique, Senegal around 1900

Boubou (also bubu; from wolof mbubbe, bubu or gran mbubu) originates from the Wolof word mbubb, meaning a garment that can be slipped on over the head and used generically to describe long, flowing, ankle length robes worn by both men and women across the predominantly Muslim West African Sahel region from Senegal to Northern Nigeria. The traditional boubou is an ample tunic with open sleeves and a triangular or rectangular breast pocket. Boubou both formal and everyday wear is made in all different materials for both men and women. Aside from being comfortable and practical, it provides covering in accordance to Islamic beliefs. Usually, Boubou is constructed in three parts.

In Senegal, the most elegant boubous are made from high quality cotton damask, the bazin riche. They are heavily embroidered with the same color or contrasting silk thread. Ornate embroidered patterns of circles and swirls adorn the pockets, neck opening, front, back and other parts of the gown depending on the design.

White and light blue are the classic colors and are commonly worn in Mauritania, Western Sahara, Mali and Niger. Bright colors with multicolor embroidery are worn in Senegal and Gambia. Less expensive boubous are made from lower quality cotton damask fabric imported from China or India and usually have no embroidery.

A Senegalese woman in Bazin

Traditionally the Senegalese boubou can be heavily embroidered, it is also known by various names depending on the ethnic group and the region in which it is being worn. In Senegal everyday wear is a caftan, or boubou with pants for the men and pagne a garment that women wrap around their hips and wear under a boubou.[Madison and Hansen, pg 126, 176]

The formal ensemble for men is a three piece outfit consisting of a caftan, a tchaya (Wolof word for loose trousers), grand boubou and a white embroidered skullcap, pillbox cap, or red or brown fez. In Mauritania and Western Sahara a similar garment is commonly worn with sirwal (Arabic word for loose trousers) in matching damask fabric and hawli (Hassaniya dialect word for a long rectangular piece of cloth that is used as a head wrap or turban). In Niger a similar type of boubou is worn. And Tuareg men commonly wear wrap turbans and face veils. In Mali, traditional clothing made of white mud cloth and associated with the towns of Djenne and Timbuktu was the type of luxury boubou, and the lomasa primarily associated with the Tunka, the ruler of Ngalam, once a Soninke kingdom in present-day Senegal.

A boubou with thioup technique, Senegal ca. 1800-1900

The informal sector of trade in dyed fabric also called thioup or thioub in Wolof, expanded in the 1980s. As a consequence fabrics such as bazin revived a boom in the fashion sector. Until 2000s cotton damask used to be worked by local craftsmen to become a noble fabric characterized by its stiffness and dazzling shine. However this craft slowly died out due to cheap competition from neighboring countries. Dyed bazin is now mainly imported in Senegal, they are then designed and sewn by local tailors who in turn export their products in West African countries and other parts of the world.

The first step in this craftsmanship is to dye the white fabric oftentimes with patterns made through a technique called tak in Wolof. When the fabric is soaked in the dye bath, that technique makes it possible to preserve certain parts of the fabric, from dyeing and to form patterns in rings or strips. The fabric is then starched and beaten with wooden clubs by tappeurs until it results in a shiny noble bazin.

It is this bazin that is skillfully turned into luxurious intricate clothing by Senegalese tailors that the entire sub region from Guinea to Nigeria wear. Its high demand, especially during holidays, as well as the many stages of manufacture make it occupy a place of choice in the economy. Senegalese boubous are mainly exported in neighboring countries such as Gambia and Mali.

La grande nuit du bazin

La grande nuit du bazin or nuit du boubou (the night of bazin) is an event founded in 2004 in Dakar in honor of the popular fabric by Senegalese singer Djiby Dramé who wanted to revive traditional boubous. It's a festival of boubous, brilliance, colors and a delight to watch. Famous Senegalese designers and pioneers of modern Senegalese fashion such as Oumou Sy, Collé Ardo Sow, Diouma Dieng Diakhaté but also other designers from other countries are invited to that event. The success of la grande nuit du bazin lead to other branches in Bamako and Abidjan successively in 2014 and 2018. Djiby Dramé also intended to spread the grande nuit du bazin internationally and within the African diaspora. In this regard, he said "Since 2004, I have been organizing the event outside of Senegal, to introduce it to Africans in the diaspora. This year, after Dakar, we will go to Paris, London and the United States where the event is eagerly awaited by the fans."

Bernhard Gardi (2003). yes (ed.). Textiles du Mali. D'après les collections du Musée national du Mali. Bamako: Musée national du Mali. ISBN 9782911741241..

Patricia Gérimont (2008). Teinturières à Bamako. Quand la couleur sort de sa réserve.... Paris: Ibis Press. ISBN 9782910728823..

Kirby, Kelly (2013). "Bazin Riche in Dakar, Senegal: Altered Inception, Use and Wear". In Karen Tranberg Hansen; D. Soyini Madison (eds.). African Dress: Fashion, Agency, Performance. A&C Black. pp. 63-76. ISBN 9780857853813..

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Bazin (or basin) is a West African fabric with its origin in Mali, made from hand-dyed cotton, resulting in a damask textile known for its stiffness and vibrant sheen. It is primarily recognized as the most commonly used fabric for crafting a Boubou, a long, loose traditional outerwear worn by both men and women, particularly in West Africa.

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The headresses are worn by married woman to signify their marital status much like how wedding rings are used

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1. Commonly worn by Sotho people in Lesotho and South Africa

2. Different blankets associate with different clans and families within the Basotho community.

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Ndebele neck rings are a symbol of wealth.

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This tradition is a tradition for woman where their lips are cut open. This usually occurs around the ages of 15-16. Then, a disk is inserted until the wound heals. The girls can choose if they want to go bigger or stay at a certain point with the length and width of the plate.

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the paste is butter fat and red ocher and they apply is to their hairy body and skin and they say its for aesthetic purposes

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The Basotho blankets are a part of the Basotho culture and are a symbol of status, unity, and virtues. They woven with tight and thick weaves, with designs made specifically symbolize fertility and growth. They have been being made for over an entire century, and are continuing to be made as a important part of their traditions and culture.

Source - https://www.thulatula.com/blogs/community/the-ultimate-guide-to-the-basotho-blanket

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Just as the modern world symbolizes marriage through a wedding ring, the Ndebele neck rings symbolize marriage, beauty, cultural identity, social status, and the cultural heritage of the Ndebele people. I have learned that the number of metal rings worn indicates the status of wealth and that they're worn in odd numbers, from 3 to 17.

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This tradition is for people, mostly women, to put a piece of pottery on their lower lip. It is then cut out of their lip as they turn 15 or 16. This is all not forced and girls get to choose.

https://blog.rhinoafrica.com/2018/08/13/7-amazing-african-tribal-traditions/