Mossi Woman's Wrap / Skirt

Chunky white dash columns alternate with rows of round spots on a mid-blue field.

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. Vertical cloth with the dye settling softly along the lower border, where a short row of dots sits above a small frayed edge. The pattern is tight and evenly spaced, with darker blue showing through at left. It is 62 inches long and 46 in diameter.

Spots and dashes taking turns, with perfect manners.