Bambara Bogolanfini or Mud Cloth Woman's Wrap / Skirt

Black cloth with rows of tiny checks and a ragged, whiskery edge.

This bogolanfini or mud cloth woman's wrap or skirt is Bambara, from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is woven cotton. Bambara women traditionally wear mud cloth wraps, and the patterns, often geometric, are generally linked to proverbs, historic events and plants, with meanings that vary by maker. A rectangular woven panel in black with bands of pale geometric patterning, blocks and zigzag lines stacked in horizontal rows. Short loose threads stick out along both side edges, and the weave is dense and slightly puckered. It is 40 inches wide and 66 long.

Fussy patterns, honestly arranged, and slightly hairy at the margins.