The bogolanfini or bogolan, (mud cloths) are some of the most impressive of the African textiles. It has an important place...read more
The bogolanfini or bogolan, (mud cloths) are some of the most impressive of the African textiles. It has an important place in traditional Malian culture and has, more recently, become a symbol of Malian cultual identity. In traditional bògòlanfini production, men weave the cloth and women dye it. The dyeing process starts by soaking the cloth in a dye bath made from leaves of the n'gallama (Anogeissus leiocarpa) tree that have been mashed and boiled. Now yellow, the cloth is sun-dried and then painted with fermented mud. Due to a chemical reaction between the mud and the dyed cloth, the brown colour remains after the mud is washed off. Finally, the yellow n'gallama dye is removed from the unpainted parts of the cloth by applying soap or bleach. After long use, the very dark brown colour turns a variety of rich tones of brown, while the unpainted underside of the fabric retains a palee yellow colour.
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Nice Malian Boglanfini10.03.1819
West and Central Africa | MALI
Cotton
Collectible (fine or rare example of an object)
Fabrics for fashion design
Excellent overall condition
160 X 87 cm
Weight:
512 gr
120.00
CHF
An old hand woven mud dyed fabric collected in Mali in 1978.
New style Boglanfini from Mali10.03.1818
West and Central Africa | Sahelian region (Mali, Niger Burkina-Faso) | Multiple regional tribes
Cotton
Collectible (fine or rare example of an object)
Excellent overall condition
Fabrics for fashion design
High aesthetic value
180 X 120 cm
Weight:
760 gr
185.00
CHF
Ten cotton strips, woven on a narrow loom and then sewn together and dyed by a special dying process. (see explanation above). The result is a bright coloured attractive fabric which can fit it in any modern design environment.
Old Malien mud cloth - Bogolanfini10.03.2064
West and Central Africa | MALI | Bamana
Cotton
Collectible (fine or rare example of an object)
Excellent overall condition
High aesthetic value
148 X 100 cm
160.00
CHF
The mud cloth ( Bogolanfini) is a distinctive textile from Mali in West Africa. The present Bogolanfini is a hand-spun fabric of seven narrow raw cotton strips. The cloth is first soaked in a bath of local leaves such as N'galman and N'tjankara which contain the mordant tannin that dyes the cloth in a deep yellow colour. Then the mud, which has been kept for one year or more and is rich in iron salts. The iron salt of the mud reacts with the tannic acid in the cloth to produce the dark black colour. To reach a deep black colour, the proces may be repeated several times. The geometrical designs are said to have magical properties and the ability to absorb threatening evil spirits through their intricate meandering patterns, typically worn by local tribesmen and women. This cloth was bought in Mali early 1970, before the tourist production started.
