Bogolanfini - African Mudcloth:
What:
Bogolanfini, or Mudcloth as it is more popularly known is a traditional cotton hand woven and hand dyed textile of the Bamana people belonging to the north and eastern region of Bamako, Mali. The word bogolan means something made by using mud, while fini means cloth. It was the Bamana Women who traditionally made the cloth using techniques and traditions that have been passed down from generations.
This piece of cloth played a major
component in marking major life events
such as birth, marriage and death. It also communicates a lot about ones social status, occupation and character
as well as represents African culture. For instance, the Bamana hunters wear a
variety of Bogolanfini made from red mud and ornamented with leather amulets and
symbols that were said to bring luck while hunting. Every aspect to this unique
textile conveys a meaning and story whether it’s the symbols, colours or
patterns. Hence no two Bogolafinis are identical.
When:
Evidence shows that the dyes used in the fabric can be dated back to 12th century AD and some of the patterns that were repeatedly used on the cloth depict historical events of the 19th century. In fact excavations from caves in the Bandiagara area of Mali, show signs of a cotton industry residing there as early as the 11th century. However there is no definite proof narrowing down one particular date.
How:
The process of making mud-cloth is time consuming, as it is entirely
hand-made. Depending on the weather, the process takes 4 days to a week. Each
piece of mud-cloth is made entirely of cotton and the dying process is a resist dye method.
The men of the community weave cotton thread on a hand
held loom. Generally around nine of these panels made of 4-5” strips are sown
together.
Traditionally, the women of the community paint and
decorate the cloth. The process begins by washing the cloth in boiling water,
shrinking it to its final size. Once dry, the cloth is soaked in a solution
containing leaves of the Bogolon tree, which is native to Mali. This solution
makes the cloth a faint yellow but enables it to absorb the mud dye.
The mud dye is made from mud rich in iron. This mud is
collected from ponds and fermented for around a year, making it black. The mud
dye is painted on the cloth using sticks, reeds, bamboo strips, feathers and
other tools. Once the mud dries, the cloth is washed. Further coats of mud are
applied to enhance the color of the mud-cloth. Once the final coat of mud is
applied, the cloth is once again washed in a solution of leaves so as to bind
the dye to the cloth. The final stage involves bleaching the yellow portions of
the cloth with a caustic soda.
Colours of the Mud Cloth:
Cream is the natural colour of mud cloth before dyeing. The traditional colours of the mud cloth have been black background white designs. This combination was often used for storytelling purposes. The hunting community wears the colour rust as it is used as a camouflage and represents the colour of blood from the hunt. Women and girls wear White during ceremonial events. Nowadays, brighter colours like reds, purples and oranges are used and being untraditional, are not appreciated by the older generations
Patterns of the Mud-Cloth:
Apart from being a form of ornamentation, the patterns of the mud cloth are abstract or semi-abstract images of everyday objects. The most popular designs depict historic events or tale of the successes of heroes. There is no one interpretation for a pattern adorning the mud-cloth.
The meanings behind symbols can
differ with the region, ethnic group and from where the textile was created.
The orientations of the designs are also an important aspect. For women, the
patterns are usually displayed horizontally, as the textile is wrapped around
their body. Male hunters believe that the
patterns are imbued with powerful nyama capable of protecting them.(Nyama
refers to vital life force, energy or power.)
The Future:
Mud-cloth was
referred to as one of the “Most influential ethnic fabrics from the 1990’s” The late Chris Seydou, a major French fashion designer internationalized
Bogolanfini designs and patterns in Western attire in one of his collections at
the Paris Fashion Week. Today it has
its unique geometric patterns everywhere from clothing to wall papers, book
covers, wrapping paper etc. Massive quantities of Bogolanfini cloth are made
for the tourist markets or for export purposes. They are still made on strips
of cotton cloth just to prove to the consumers that they are handmade instead
of machine made. However newer methods have been developed to make the
production process easier such as using stencils. The drawback being, the
monotony of these patterns, that in turn diminishes the ethic, and traditional
value of authentic mud-cloth.
References:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/2800615?seq=1 Bogolanfini: A Mud-Painted Cloth from Mali
- J. B. Donne
