Mossi Woman's Wrap / Skirt

Zigzag white bars and dotted triangles meet in an hourglass at the center of the cloth.

This woman's wrap or skirt is Mossi, from Burkina Faso, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is woven cotton & indigo. Indigo is a plant dye that gives cotton a deep blue, and the cloth is dipped repeatedly, then exposed to air so the color develops. Tall mid-blue cloth with fine vertical weave lines throughout, patterned in cream dashes and dots. A lacy, bleached halo surrounds the center, and short fringe hangs from the lower edge. It is 43 inches wide and 59 long.

Tension, balance and many tiny dashes.