Mossi Woman's Wrap / Skirt

Columns of tiny arrows and butterfly marks run down a long, indigo strip of 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. The Mossi are the largest ethnic group in Burkina Faso, and they have long been farmers, weavers and dyers. Narrow, tall cloth mottled with deeper and lighter blue, patterned in vertical rows of small white bow and chevron shapes. Joined panels run lengthwise, and loose, uneven fringe hangs from the bottom. It is 57 inches long and 44 in diameter.

Small marks in long lines, like careful handwriting.