The Use of Colour in Traditional Itsekiri Textile Patterns in Delta State

The Itsekiri people of Delta State in Nigeria's South South geopolitical zone possess a distinctive textile tradition characterised by the use of bold colour contrasts, geometric pattern structures, and symbolic colour meanings that reflect their historical trading identity and cosmological beliefs. This study examines the use of colour in traditional Itsekiri textile patterns, focusing on woven and printed textiles produced in Warri and the surrounding Itsekiri-majority communities. A qualitative research design is employed, combining structured visual analysis of 80 textiles collected from community custodians, traders, and cultural institutions with in-depth interviews conducted with 15 traditional textile makers and 8 cultural historians. The study documents the colour palette employed, the symbolic meanings attributed to specific colours and colour combinations by Itsekiri cultural informants, and the occasions for which particular textiles are considered appropriate. The theoretical framework draws on colour symbolism theory, material culture studies, and the comparative ethnography of West African textile colour traditions. The study also examines how the entry of commercially printed substitute textiles has affected the production of traditionally woven Itsekiri cloth and whether contemporary weavers are maintaining the historically established colour conventions or responding to new aesthetic pressures. Recent scholarship on Delta State craft traditions has identified Itsekiri textiles as a significantly understudied area. Findings are intended for the Delta State Ministry of Culture, craft heritage organisations, and museum curators documenting South South material culture. Keywords: colour symbolism, Itsekiri textiles, Delta State, textile tradition, South South Nigeria