Àdìrẹ is an indigo-dyed cloth traditionally produced by Yoruba women in south-western Nigeria. A range of resist-dye techniques are used to create àdìrẹ patterns, often incorporating more than one technique in a single cloth. The ground-cloth cotton is folded, stitched, tied or otherwise worked-upon in preparation for dyeing – these areas resist the dye, creating the cloth's distinctive blue and white patterns. The precise origins of àdìrẹ are unknown, though indigo-dyeing has been seen across West Africa for centuries. Àdìrẹ has an enduring presence in the region, becoming a popular, everyday cloth, with many women dyeing àdìrẹ of their own design within the home. Once dyed, àdìrẹ cloth can be wrapped or stitched to create garments, such as a woman's ìró (wrapped skirt). From the 20th century onwards, factory-woven cloth began to be used – this cloth accepted the dye more easily, creating a finer clarity of design. Whilst factories are now able to mass-produce imitation àdìrẹ, the popularity of the traditional hand-worked cloth remains, made by local artisans in historic dyeing centres such as Ibadan.

Àdìrẹ is subcategorised according to the method of resist-dyeing used, each of which carries its own history and produces its own recognisable effect. This particular cloth is an example of àdìrẹ oniko, which specifically uses raffia to create the resist. Sections of the cloth have been tightly tied with raffia; the larger circles are made by raising a point of cloth and then binding the cloth below tightly, leaving a larger round area of white, whilst the smaller circles were created by tying around small stones or guinea-corn seeds in the cloth. The resultant spotted pattern is a type of àdìrẹ oniko known as àdìrẹ eleso, or 'moons and fruits'. Indigo dyeing was done by women using large earthenware dye pots partially sunk into the ground. In this example it is possible to see a large circle that has not been bound tightly enough and is therefore pale blue rather than white.

Àdìrẹ is usually composed of two panels stitched together along the long edges creating one whole piece. This would be worn by women wrapped around the waist with the seam running horizontally, forming an ìró (wrapped skirt). However, in this example there is only one strip of cloth. Àdìrẹ cloths were not particularly prestigious, but during the 1960s they were extremely popular. Part of their success lay in the fact that they were inexpensive and could be made quickly in response to changing fashions.