Malian Wrap Cloth: "Bogolan" - Mud Cloth

Bogolan cloth, or mud cloth, has become a symbol of national identity for Mali. It was once worn by Senufo hunters.

The creation of Bogolan cloth is a long process. First cotton is hand-spun. Men then weave the yarn into plain white cloth strips on a narrow strip loom about four inches wide. Women dye the fabric. First, the plain cotton cloth is soaked in a fixative made from local trees that changes its color to a uniform dark beige color. The woman then paints a mud and fixative mixture onto the cloth, using a variety of objects, including feathers, stamps, and cowry shellls. Some figures are drawn in bleach to contrast with the base color. The figures that were painted in the mud mixture will appear black.


Once the painting is completed, the cloth is dried in the sun for one day.
After the mud has dried, the excess is removed by violently shaking the cloth. The cloth is then rinsed.
Source:
https://folklife.si.edu/malian-bogolan/smithsonian
https://www.spurlock.illinois.edu/exhibits/online/senufo/mudcloth2.html