Article Citation: Morenike Folabalogun, Caleb Samuel, & Muhammad Aliyu (2020). An Examination of Factors Influencing Hausa Female in the Practice of Cap Embroidery in Zaria, Kaduna State. DEGEL: The Journal of the Faculty of Arts and Islamic Studies, Vol. 18, No. 2. ISSN 0794-9316
AN EXAMINATION OF FACTORS INFLUENCING HAUSA FEMALE IN THE PRACTICE OF
CAP EMBROIDERY IN ZARIA, KADUNA STATE
By
Morenike Folabalogun, Caleb Samuel, & Muhammad Aliyu
Abstract
Cap embroidery is the art of forming decorative
designs with hand or machine needlework. Scholars in the field of anthropology,
history, including Heathcote and many others have discussed Hausa cap
embroidery, but have excluded Hausa female cap embroiderers from scholarly
researches. This study is yet to find any scholarly work on the female Hausa
cap embroidery. One of the objectives of the study is to identify the
characteristics of the work, and to reveal the stylistic visual idioms of the
female Hausa cap embroidery. The methodology used in this research is
qualitative; through analysis, non-participant observations, archival
materials, oral interviews, literary texts, and internet resources. This study
submits that female Hausa cap embroiderers exist and the embroiderer’s
signature in Northern Nigeria is part and parcel of its cultural expression.
Introduction
Hausa embroidered caps are common, from the type
children wear to those of adults. Hausa males and females have been involved in
the art of caps embroidery for long, however not much is known of the female
embroiderers as their male counterparts. The traditional attire in Nigeria is
as diverse as the ethnic groups, and the popular Hausa embroidered caps are not
only worn by the Hausa, but are worn by other ethnic groups. In Nigeria and
Africa in general, clothing including caps, serves decorative and cultural
purposes. The art of working on embroidery with raised ornamental and
decorative designs in various types of threads like silk, cotton, or other
materials upon any woven fabric on leather or paper, with the aid of a needle,
crochet or embroidery machine as a form of decoration, has been in existence
for long.
The variety of luxurious, intricate and elaborate
designs of the embroidered caps among the Hausa ethnic group, renders them
among Nigeria’s artistic signatures. Historically, the medium has been passed
down from generation to generation, and it is prominent in the Northern part of
Nigeria. The Hausa cap is a prestigious yet affordable piece of clothing,
complementing the robe, which ’significantly establishes membership in the West
African Islamic World’ (Prussin, 1986). Traditionally, the Hausa man’s outfit
is not complete without the cap. Gender disparity is an issue in this study
because most females do not have equal opportunity with their male counterparts
in the society. Female embroiderers are underrepresented in research with
regards to embroidered Hausa caps. There exists, a sizeable number of Hausa
female cap embroiderers, but they have continued to receive far less publicity
and recognition than their male counterparts in scholarship documentation.
Women, as collected in the field, do two thirds of the embroidery work, however
receive ten percent of the world’s income and own one percent of the means of
production
Statement of
the Problem
The problem of this study is that, Scholars like
Heathcote (1973), anthropologists like Douny (2011), historians like Renne
(2002) and others have discussed Hausa cloth and cap embroidery, but have
excluded female Hausa cap embroidery from scholarly researches. Female Hausa
cap embroiderers in Paki village, Zaria and Kurmi mashi in Kaduna metropolis
are faced with factors like biological issues, labour, economic inequality,
lack of access to exposure of technology, and they work from home in purdah.
The female cap embroiderers are not known or seen by researchers, hence their
works have hitherto, not been documented.
The Scope of
the Study
The study is restricted to Paki village in Zaria for
field study and Kurmi Mashi for the
pilot study in Kaduna metropolis in Kaduna State.
Development of Cap
Embroidery in Zaria
The Hausa people of Northern Nigeria have long been
known for their voluminous robes known as babban riga, which are hand
embroidered in a range of embroidery stitches (Heathcote, 1972), He further
claimed that, until recently the embroidery of the robes was primarily done by
men, however, women have taken up this work in the past twenty years, as men
have turned to machine embroidery and other occupations. According to Danjuma
(2012), the immediate past history of Nigerian art shows that women have been
very active in the production of works of art. He further stressed that,
several societies in the North; women were engaged in the production of pottery
and weaving. Robes and kaftans, either hand or machine embroidered, that are produced
in Zaria city, are available in local shops and are marketed throughout Nigeria
Female cap
embroiderers in Paki and Kurmi-mashi
Female Hausa cap embroiderers in Paki village, Zaria
and Kurmi mashi in Kaduna metropolis cuts across all ages. The female
embroiderers are Hausa by language and ethnicity. They are Muslims by religious
affiliation, and the Hausa female embroiderers exist and are involved in the
art of handcrafted Hausa caps like their male counterparts, using needles and
varieties of embroidery threads like mai
lamba (number brand), mai hanga (hanger
brand), mai bindiga (gun brand) on
cotton fabrics. Their Handcrafted or homemade caps are for male adornment. The
females are not involved in machine cap embroidery like their counterparts due
to financial inequality in Paki village, Zaria. Some researchers established
the existence of female cap embroiderers as in Ibrahim (2016) who established
the fact that, Badume a small village in Bichi Local Government Area of Katsina
state unlike other villages in the state, had virtually all the housewives as
capmakers. This according to Ibrahim has been the tradition in the village for
many years. Some of the married female Hausa cap embroiderers practice Purdah.
According to Danjuma (2012), in today’s reality, women in purdah face several
challenges that include restriction to “personal, social and economic
activities outside their immediate homes”. The author observes that, in Paki
village in Zaria, where the field work for this study was carried out in 2019,
all the females are involved in handmade cap embroidery for male adornment,
similar to the Badume housewives in Katsina State. Renne (2002) opines that,
Zaria city women have taken up embroidering of babban riga but nothing was mentioned about hand made cap
embroidery (dinkin hula) by the
author. Female embroiderers in
Maiduguri are often teenagers, young housewives, widows or sedentary women,who
are able to find time to carry on
the obvious tedium and monotony of stichery for long periods (Ogboli,2018).
These kind of women could be observed stiching the caps in buses, in hospitals
waiting rooms, undearneath tree shades, or during break times away from menial
jobs in government and private offices (Ogboli,2018). In Paki village, Zaria,
young unmarried Hausa females embroiders carry out this activity, in front of
their houses and the married females embroiders, within the confines of their
homes or compounds.
Motifs,
Patterns and their Names
Motifs as a visual Meta language are linked to
esoteric science and there are numerous motifs (Douny, 2011). Embroidered
imagery rests on historical context and events, religious identities,
embroidered motifs represent the Hausa identity (Douny, 2011). Douny gives
further insight that, ‘Africans immediately know that it is Hausa’. He further
stressed that, certain motifs are implicit as well as personal statements that
might only be readable. A great variety of patterns are used by the female and
male embroiderers to give texturized effects on the stitches of the finished
products. In the course of embroidering the female embroiderers made use of
versions of sequence motifs, the process is elaborate; patterns are interlaced
resulting in intricate elaborate patterns of stitching Hausa embroidered caps.
Picton (1995) holds that, Hausa embroidered cap patterns are acceptable ethnic
patterns, made up mostly of geometric motifs.
Figure 1. Kadangare Motif
Kadangare (Fig.1) literally means Lizard in
English. The Motif is stylized, simplified into geometric shapes. There are
three repeated kite like shapes in the middle, seating or fitted into a shape
which looks like an inverted double ‘U’ letter up and a letter ‘M’ below
representing the legs. Zigzag lines in different dimensions are used in the
illustration. These types of Motif are mainly done in one embroidered thread
colour.
Figure 2. Kadangare
Motif.
Kadangare (Fig.2) this is another version of lizard motif, different from the one
illustrated in (Fig. 1). This Motif is stylized, simplified into geometric
shapes. There are three repeated kite like shapes which become bigger as it
progresses down. Intricate lines in different dimensions are used in the
illustration. These types of Motif are mainly embroidered in one colour.
Figure 3. Jirgi
Sama Motif
Jirgi sama (Fig.3) literally means aircraft.
This type of motif is usually done or embroidered in one color. It exhibits an
abstract current. The Motif is simplified and stylized, with eight triangular
shapes,four on each side representing the side lights of the aircraft, and the
two at the sides in front of the aircraft like small vernacular African huts
represents the nose lights of the aircraft,with the tail end represented in
three rectangular shapes like a tripod stand.
Figure 4. Tabarma
Motif
Tabarma (Fig.4) means Mat. It is densely
embroidered with different colours and usually typical of various types of
elaborate designs. The Motif is divided into squares. The name must have been
given because of the motif’s resemblance to a traditional local mat woven with
different types of sectional designs. Lines, squares, rectangles and
repetition, are used in the formation of this pattern.
Figure 5. Kashi
Kifi Motif
Kashi Kifi (Fig.5) literally means Fish bone.
The motif is simplified, interesting, beautiful, detailed in an abstract form.
The central column is the spinal column of the fish, divided into bone regions
of nine square boxes intertwined and the shooting strokes on the left and right
which are eleven each making twenty-two altogether representing the bones of
the fish. The Motif is the local version of Herringbone. The shooting strokes
decreases as it goes up and increases as it descends down indicating that the
strokes are not of the same length allover.
Figure 6. Tauraron Arewa Motif.
Figure 7. Tauraron Arewa Motif
Tauraron Arewa (Figs.6 and 7) means Northern
star.The Motifs shows different versions of the Northern star motif. The Shapes are super imposed; the Motif is
also referred to as ‘Arewa’ or the ‘Northern Star’. The Motif is prominent on
all major craft works like, leather, Calabash and embroidery works, female and
male embroidery garments and on wall paintings in the Northern parts of
Nigeria. The female embroiderers also use these motif versions on embroidered
Hausa caps as patterns. The motif is embroidered in solid colours on Hausa caps
for visibility.
Figure 8. Kwalaba Motif
Kwalaba (Fig.8)
means a bottle.
The motif comes in different Shapes, like rectangular or squares. It is used as
a motif on embroidered Hausa caps, usually embroidered in one solid colour on
caps not distorted. The motif represents day to day utilities. Some of the
motifs have symbolic or religious meanings while some are just motifs for motif
sake.
Figure 9. Allo
Motif
Allo (Fig.9) means a wooden Koranic slate used for inscriptions by Moslem
scholars. The motifs come in different Shapes, like rectangle, triangle, and
squares.
Figure 10. Tauraro Motif
Tauraro (Fig.10) means star. A motif has a
dot at the center with seven shooting edges. The shooting edges are the main
body of the star while the dot in the center is the shining point where the
brightness radiates from. The motif looks like an animal skin dried in the sun
that can be used for praying or processed for utility products like shoes, bags
or leather works.
Figure 11. Mai
Kwaf Motif
Mai Kwaf Motif (Fig.11) represents a trophy,
with a cup like handle on both sides and a base like figure eight, the main cup
looks like an inverted triangle with a lid on top. The influence of this
expression might not be farfetched from the popularity of games like, polo
horse race, hockey, football, basketball which has great audience affection in
the North of Nigeria.
Figure 12. Reza
Motif
Reza (Fig.12) is a Hausa word for Razor
blade. The motif looks like two blades intertwined, the five holes in the
middle on both blades represent the holes.
Figure 13. Masallaci Motif
Masallaci (Fig.13) meaning Mosque, the motif is
lineal and rectangular in design, creating five columns in design. The motif is
done in bold color of at least one or four.
Figure 14. Masallaci Qudus (Dome of the Rock Mosque) Motif
Masallaci Qudus
(Fig.14) means the sacred mosque to the west of Jerusalem (Dome of the Rock) in
Israel. The mosque is regarded as the third holiest Mosque after that of Medina
in Saudi Arabia and signifies the third holiest praying place or Mosque for the
Muslims. The building is reduced to geometrical shapes; beautiful use of lineal
lines is also evident.
Figure 15. Ayaba
Motif
Ayaba (Fig.15) means banana. The banana is
reduced to geometrical shapes. The illustration shows three curvilinear lines
within each other.
Figure 16. Hasumiya
motif
Hasumiya (Fig.16) means a control tower. The
motif is reduced to geometrical shapes; of squares, rectangles and kite like
shapes.
Figure 17. Akwantintaya Motif
Akwantintaya (Fig.17) means a box with wheels.
The box is reduced to geometrical shapes and lineal lines, is seen. The
illustration looks like a set of four boxes laced together, with the fourth one
with cubic design pattern.
Factors
Influencing the practice of female Hausa embroidery in Paki village and
Kurmi-mashi
i. Household inequality
ii. Professional inequality
iii. Impact of economic inequality on female Hausa
embroiderers.
iv. Inequality on scholarly research work, thus female are
underrepresented in research concerning embroidered Hausa male caps.
v. Biological issues and labour affects the quantity but
not the quality of embroidered caps produced.
vi. Lack of access to technological exposure like the use
of embroidery machines.
vii. Women by Islamic religion are often left to operate at
home thus; they do work from the home in their purdah or fenced homes. Major
female activities were made invisible by their disproportionate seclusion
within the family household
viii. Cultural issues affect female Hausa embroiderers
because they handcraft their caps at home, it is difficult for the outsider to
imagine that they are involved in the art.
ix. The men who come to collect such handcrafted caps to
take to the market for sales usually take the commendation.
x. To the best of the knowledge of the researcher, the
females in Paki village and kurmi mashi are not visible in the involvement of
the embroidering and in the sales of the Hausa male caps.
Conclusion
The study identifies and
reveals that, motifs and patterns of Hausa cap embroidery can be classified
into social, religious, historical or political. The motifs and patterns are
numerous, which depicts the
Islamic ideology of non-representational motifs. Some of the identified motifs
used by both female and male embroiderers were documented in (Figs.1 to 17)
amongst others. Female Hausa cap embroiderers have the same characteristics
like motifs, patterns, quality, appearance, same methods of hand embroidered,
actual textured surface, on finished handmade Hausa caps. The embroiderers
without the knowledge of Bauhaus design principles of Germany, of the 19th
century A.D. have good understanding and application of principles and elements
of Art Design. The study also revealed that there are no differences in the
patterns bought from draughts men and used by females and male embroiderers and
are coined with names by the embroiderers, wearers and draughtsman. Motifs used
by females and males in Hausa cap embroidery needs to be catalogued from time
to time, because the motifs and patterns are numerous and ever changing. The
author concludes that female Hausa embroiderers have not been scholarly
researched into like their male counterparts in the profession.
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