The ‘BENIN CLOTH’ : A Very Brief History of A Forgotten Textile Economy When the Benin-Portugal factory opened at Gwatto (Ughoton) at the tail end of the 1400s, it was precisely for the exchange of material culture. The slave trade had not started and the world was still innocent as yet and among other items of exchanges, Benin Cloth, manufactured by the Benins, was an important item of export economy and thousands of yards of Benin Cloth were exported to Portugal, then later through the Dutch Company. Global Textile Trade: In 1505 alone, B Fernandez of Portugal, one of the main buyers, purchased just under 2000 bundles of cloth from the factory at Gwatto. Who were the makers of these cloth such that one buyer could purchase that many cloth? Reports suggests the weavers were mostly women, weaving from looms set up in their own homes. In 1506 when Oba Esigie closed down the factory, it was precisely because the trade had suddenly shifted from exchange of material culture to preci