Hausa visual culture is easy to recognise: deep blue cloth, tall hats and gowns, long trumpets and mud walls with raised patterns.
Indigo
The dark blue of Kano’s dye pits, the colour most associated with Hausa cloth.
Babbar riga
The wide flowing gown worn by men on formal occasions, often embroidered.
Hula
A cap with many styles, from plain to richly embroidered.
Kakaki
A very long trumpet that announces the emir at court and in the Durbar.
Zane
Geometric patterns modelled in plaster on the façades of traditional houses.
Ajami
The Arabic-based script in which Hausa was written long before the Latin alphabet.
The patterns used on this website are inspired by these traditions. They are original drawings, not copies of any specific artwork.