Marchés sur terre - The best markets on earth
Dantokpa pagne market (Cotonou, Benin)
Directed by Bruno Boulianne, Yvonne Defour, Marie-France LavalS2 • E3 Jan 19, 2017
The pagne, also known as the wrapper or lappa, is an iconic African garment. Traditionally worn in West Africa, it comes in countless colourful patterns, and each country has its own version. One of the continent's biggest pagne markets, the Dantokpa market, is located in Cotonou, Benin. Every day, the vast 15-hectare market welcomes one million visitors. Shaded from the sun by large parasols, Dantokpa market's 5,000 stalls sell jewellery, clothing, food and drink. Inside the main building - known as the temple of wax hollandais - is where we find countless pagnes. The name is derived from the technique used to make the garment, which involves soaking in wax to preserve the fabric's vivid colours. Women, men and children of all social classes wear pagnes, which were originally made in the Netherlands. Squares, circles, floral patterns, seashells, everyday items, animals, gods: each pattern has a message, sometimes highly communicative, or may be a symbol of cultural belonging or a memento of a special occasion. In Benin, women are the main players in the pagne trade, having developed participatory and creative relationships with their suppliers. Dantokpa market also has 80 Vodun shops whose wares include bones, feathers and furs. Here, the religion's adherents can purchase the items they need to make an amulet, or the ingredients for traditional medicines. Both soft and sturdy, symbols of perseverance and success, the pagnes of Dantokpa market reflect not only the different cultures that call Benin home, they also embody the history of Africa. Come read the silent story in the patterns, a story told every day under the Cotonou sun.
