What factor is common to both Eva Zeisel's work and Yoruba indigo-dyed cloth?

• A. Women are responsible for the designs.
• B. They use only blue dyes.
• C. Only mass-produced items.
• D. They rely on digital printing.

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is who carries the design work in these two contexts. Eva Zeisel was a renowned designer whose own creations—ceramic forms shaped by her design sensibility—are driven by a woman’s perspective. Yoruba indigo-dyed cloth, or adire, is traditionally designed and produced largely by Yoruba women who create the patterns and oversee the dye resist process. So, the common factor is that women are responsible for the designs in both cases.

Blue dyes alone don’t define the connection, since Zeisel’s work features a range of glazes and colors, not only blue, and Yoruba cloth, while often deep blue, can involve other color schemes too. Mass production isn’t the defining element either; Zeisel’s work emphasizes individual design and handcrafted production, while Yoruba textile practice centers on traditional, hands-on methods rather than mass manufacturing. Digital printing is not involved in these contexts, as both rely on pre-digital, hands-on design and techniques.