Batik Textile Exploration for Preserving and Propagating Igbo Cultural Symbols (Ejirimaraeze and Omunkwu) in Southeastern Nigeria
1 Dept of Art and Industrial Design, Lagos State University of Science & Technology, Ikorodu, Lagos
* Corresponding author: anyanwu.c@lasustech.edu.ng
* Corresponding author: anyanwu.c@lasustech.edu.ng
Abstract
The study examined textiles, uses of clothing textiles, their distinctive characteristics and textiledesign. Contemporary developments on the erosion of cultural values in Nigeria, particularlyin the Southeast, are due to the neglect of cultural symbols and their cherished meanings, whichmotivated the study. Previous studies on cultural symbols skewed towards leveraging theversatility of textiles and textile design were limited; therefore, this study filled this gap instatistics. The practice-led studio research approach was used. Results showed that textiledesign technology using batik textile exploration could be used to design Igbo cultural textilesthrough Ejirimaraeze and Omunkwu symbols aimed at the identity of Igbo people ofSoutheastern Nigeria. The Ejirimaraeze symbol showed the characteristics of a traditional rulerin Igbo land, which entails four different Igbo traditional motifs associated with an Igbotraditional ruler, namely, the traditional red cap, two eagle feathers, Akaraka (symbol ofdestiny), Mgbaji (chain of coral beads) and their representations. The Omunkwu, on the otherhand, symbolised “caveat emptor” or out of bounds and sacredness in Igbo culture. Throughthe tool of textile design, the meanings of these cultural symbols could be propagated,popularised, preserved and transmitted to future generations as a means of stemming the tideof the erosion of Igbo cultural values and the restoration of their cultural identity. It wastherefore recommended that research efforts in other areas be intensified to arrest the erosionof Nigerian, nay Igbo, cultural values.
Keywords
Batik exploration
Ejirimaraeze
Omunkwu
Textiles
Textile Design
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How to Cite
Chinwe, A. (2026). Batik Textile Exploration for Preserving and Propagating Igbo Cultural Symbols (Ejirimaraeze and Omunkwu) in Southeastern Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Textiles, 12(1), 96-104. https://doi.org/10.67637/njt.2026.20r298xw
A. Chinwe, "Batik Textile Exploration for Preserving and Propagating Igbo Cultural Symbols (Ejirimaraeze and Omunkwu) in Southeastern Nigeria," Nigerian Journal of Textiles, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 96-104, June 2026. doi: 10.67637/njt.2026.20r298xw
