Indigo dyeing was responsible for the enrichment and empowerment of W. African women. The source of this knowledge was passed through many centuries from Iya Mapo. In the first drawing below, she is seated in front of an Adire cloth design, holding a branch of the Elu bush whose leaves are crushed to make the indigo dye. In a spiritual ritual the agbe, or sacred bird, dips its tail in the indigo pot and anoints the divine pigment. In other drawings in this series, deities of the air and water contribute to the success of this difficult and capricious process.

According to tradition, the indigo dye pot is treated as a living entity with a heart and soul, and nurtured like a child. By continuing this ancient tradition, unnamed enslaved descendants of Iya Mapo helped create the wealth and prosperity of indigo plantations in Colonial America.