International records / OpenAlex research

Urhobo Mats in Praise of Daughters

ust south of the bustling markets of Warri, in places more quickly reached by canoe than by the circuitous tarmac roads, are the Urhobo villages of the Udu and Ughievwen clans, known throughout midwestern Nigeria for their strong and beautifully patterned mats. There the women make a variety of mats that are used every day. Rough, undecorated ones become rugs or impromptu umbrellas, and softer, simply patterned mats transform hard beds into comfortable sleeping areas. But the finest examples, boldly patterned in red-orange, black and white, are used in ceremonies for girls as they become women…