They are known for the high jumping dance carried out by the adolescent men during the Gerewol (Guérewol) ceremonies in order to impress potential brides. Wodaabe embroidery is often found on the wrap-around kilt worn by the men during one of the Gerewol dances called the yake. The kilt is worn under a white hip wrap and a sash. The older versions of the kilt are made from rectangles sewn from long, narrow strips of black, blue or white cotton, decorated with stripes in contrasting colours. By the end of the twentieth century, a wide variety of cloth was being worn.
The kilts are often embroidered with geometric designs in predominantly orange, red, yellow and white colours. These patterns are worked using chain stitch embroidery.
See also the TRC Needles entry on Wodaabe embroidery.
Sources:
- BOVIN, Mette (2001). Nomads who Cultivate Beauty: Wodaabe Dances and Visual Arts in Niger, Uppsala: Nordic Africa Institute, p. 18.
- https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/women-artisans-in-niger/updates/?subid=33357 (retrieved 30th March 2016).
- http://kwekudee-tripdownmemorylane.blogspot.nl/2014/02/wodaabe-mbororo-people-nomadic-fulani.html (retrieved 30th March 2016).
GVE