Madras (cloth) handwoven (evidenced by the small flaws in the fabric). Cotton madras is woven from a fragile, short-staple cotton fiber that can't be combed, only carded, resulting in bumps known as slubs which are thick spots in the yarn that give madras its unique texture. The cotton is hand-dyed after being spun into yarn, woven and finished in some 200 small villages in the Madras area. Madras fabric is generally regarded as belonging to the peasant class in its native India. Dutch traders arrived in India in the early 1600s to trade in the local calico cloth, followed by the British.
Akwete cloth the society, certain motifs being regarded as gifts of creative inspiration from a divinity. Social status plays a role in the wearing of Akwete cloth, certain motifs being reserved for royalty, or used as a talisman to protect warriors going into battle or women in pregnancy. Some patterns are reserved for special families or occasions because of circumstances pertaining to motif origin. Akwete cloth Akwete cloth is a unique hand woven textile produced in Igboland for which the town of Akwete in Abia state, Nigeria is famous. The traditional Igbo weaving as demonstrated in Akwete processes sisal-hemp, raffia and spun