Tahirou Husseini, dernier teinturier actif du Nord Bénin

Abstract

In March 2023, we were able to observe and interview the last active dyer in northern Benin, in a district of the town of Nikki. A living human treasure whose disappearance could mean the disappearance of a centuries-old technical tradition, Tahirou Husseini took us through a number of operations involved in preparing the dye bath and colouring the textiles. He also described the context in which the craft was practised in the past and the changes that have taken place over time. In this article, we share this information. Some of it has rarely been mentioned in the literature.

Keywords

• indigo dyeing
• textile
• ethnography of techniques
• Living Human Treasure