Authentic Woven Mud Cloth, 45" x 72", $50

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Authentic Woven Mud Cloth, approximately 5' x 7' (tablecloth size), $160

Temporarily Out of Stock

Woven Mud Cloth MCF101

Woven Mud Cloth MCF102

Woven Mud Cloth MCF103

Authentic woven mudcloth is hand-woven. No 2 pieces are alike, designs and patterns may vary, the colors however are consistent. Made in Mali.

Woven mud cloth is a very heavy cotton weave - please call 866-446-4668 or email us for delivery charges.

Mud cloth, also known as bogolan or bogolanfini, originated by women from Mali centuries ago. Bogolanfini translated means cotton cloth dyed with mud. No two pieces are alike; the pieces that I own personally, I consider custom made from the Motherland just for me. I invite you to think of your mud cloth in the same way.

Keeping with tradition, cotton grown locally is hand spun by the women of Mali. The men use small hand looms to weave the cotton into long strips. Typically, seven long strips are sewn together to produce a large piece of mud cloth. A piece of this size would be perfect as a throw for your sofa. It is not unusual to find mud cloth with 5 to 9 long strips sewn together. Upon close examination of a larger piece of mud cloth you will find that the strips are sewn together with a hand or machine zig-zag stitch. Disassembling a piece of mud cloth is as simple as cutting the stitches. Barbara does this all the time to make smaller items such as baseball caps, kofis, pillows or belts. That’s how versatile mud cloth is.

After the men weave the cloth, the women start the dyeing and design process. The cloth is washed in boiling water and then laid out to dry. This step shrinks the fabric to the proper size. The cloth is then set in a solution of tea that comes from the Bogalon tree. The tea acts as a fixative for the dye. The tea solution is quite dark. Soaking the cloth in the tea solution enables the fabric to absorb the mud dye. The cloth is then laid out to dry a second time.

To complete the designing process the women of Mali gather up their tools: sticks, bamboo, palm brushes and reeds. The painting begins. The color is absorbed in the fabric as the mud dries. The amazing aspect of the design process is that the background of the cloth is painted, not the design. Imagine placing a huge leaf on the fabric; the designer places the mud dye on top of the leaf and the surrounding area. Wooden stamps, plant roots and straw are also used for designing motifs. These are considered natural stencils. Other stencils such as plastics are also used. For darker, more vibrant colors, the designing process is simply repeated.

The last step in the process is the bleaching. The women apply a caustic soda to the areas where mud was not applied. The caustic soda bleaches the area white. This causes the designs to stand out from the mud-dyed background. A final washing completes the process.

Symbols and designs have many meanings. Designs can represent historical events, a person's status in society, etc. There are designs worn by women that represent superiority of one wife over another. The colors have their own significance as well. Lighter colors are worn by women. In some tribes, rust signifies warfare. African hunters wear gray for camouflage. Men wear dark colors such as black, brown and maroon.

I’m sure you’re familiar with the term home-based business. Keep that term in mind when you think about how mud cloth is made. Quality mud cloth is strictly a village-based or a home-based enterprise. There are no huge manufacturing conglomerates producing mud cloth. The price of mud cloth varies. The reason for this is African artists each set their own prices. We have come to believe the price variation is dictated by the need of the artist at the time of sale. Weight and size are factors also. Mud cloth can be purchased from large dealers in Africa but typically the best quality pieces are produced by local artisans.

It is our hope that the artists who produce this exquisite fabric are adequately compensated for their time and effort. The process of making mud cloth is a long and time consuming one. It is definitely worth the wait.

James