Bogolanfini (Earth with Cloth)
Mud cloth fabrics, also known as Bogolanfini, are cotton fabrics of great cultural significance in Africa, particularly in Mali, West Africa, where they originated. The name Bogolanfini derives from three Bambara words: “bogo” (earth or mud), “lan” (with), and “fini” (cloth). This fabric has a deep-rooted history, dating back to the 12th century in Mali.
Traditionally, men wove strips of fabric together to create a larger canvas, and women dyed it using an intricate process. The vibrant and beautiful designs are created by painting with fermented mud or sludge. The cloth is first dyed using tea leaves and branches, then dried in the sun. Patterns, each with cultural, historical and geographic significance, are painted onto the cloth with mud and then washed.
Mud cloth serves various cultural roles. Hunters wear it for ritual protection and as a badge of status. After childbirth, women are wrapped in cloth, which is believed to absorb pain and deflect negativity. The symbols on mud cloth are often personalized, with meanings typically passed down from mothers to daughters. While some symbols have widely known meanings, such as a twirl representing “life,” others are more obscure and known only to specific groups.