Mudcloth

A gorgeous piece of Mudcloth found in Bolgatanga, Ghana. The Trader told me the mudcloth was handmade in  Mali probably the Western Sahara region.  The term “mudcloth” is loosely translated from Bambara, the language spoken in Mali. “Bògòlanfini” as it is called in Bambara, combines three root words: “bogo” meaning earth or mud, “lan” meaning ‘with’, and “fini” meaning cloth. The handmade Malian cloth dyed using fermented mud, giving it its name-sake. The tradition dates back to the 12th century.

This piece of Mudcloth is made in the traditional way with 13 strips sewn together and measures 65″x50″ . The pattern is a bold zigzag in the light brown, dark brown and white. This cloth is hand made so will have some imperfections and colour variations which adds to its charm.