Mossi Woman's Wrap / Skirt

Nested white diamonds of fine stripes fill the center of a dark blue 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 cloth with a lozenge motif drawn from rows of narrow cream dashes, bordered by triangles of dots. Vertical weave lines show through the blue, and the edges are straight with no fringe. It is 61.5 inches long and 42 in diameter.

Concentric geometry, ruled in a very steady hand.