Mossi Woman's Wrap / Skirt Pillow

Indigo cushion with blurry white wings floating in tidy columns.

This woman's wrap and skirt pillow is Mossi, from Burkina Faso, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is woven cotton, indigo & feather. Wraps worn around the waist are a common form of women's dress in West Africa, and they are often made from hand-woven strips sewn together. Square cushion in a mid blue, with soft-edged cream motifs shaped like butterflies in vertical lines. Stacked small marks run along the top, getting larger toward the middle. A thin seam divides the face down the center. It is 17 inches wide and 17 long.

Soft-edged and hazy, as though the dye never quite made up its mind.