Read the following passage:
'Traditional textile weaving in Nigeria—manifest in Yoruba Aso-Oke, Hausa-Fulani strip weaving, and Igbo Akwete cloth—constitutes both a sophisticated artistic canon and a tangible record of communal history. Woven on narrow horizontal treadle looms or vertical frame looms, these hand-loomed fabrics employ intricate geometric motifs, indigo resist-dyeing, and metallic filaments to denote social prestige, marital status, or spiritual milestones. Historically, an artisan cloth was not merely utilitarian apparel; it functioned as an enduring currency of cultural diplomacy and ancestral reverence. In the contemporary era, however, indigenous weavers confront stiff headwinds from cheap, imported synthetic knock-offs that replicate traditional motifs on low-grade polyester.'

According to the passage, what distinguished traditional hand-loomed cloth beyond its practical utility as clothing?