Mossi Woman's Wrap / Skirt Pillow

Indigo cloth, resist-dyed in rows of pale butterflies.

Mossi weavers of Burkina Faso, West Africa, made the cotton cloth for this pillow, from a woman’s wrap or skirt, in the 20th century, and it is filled with feathers. Resist-dyed indigo cloth is commonly used for wraps and skirts across the region, with patterns made by tying before dyeing. Rows of pale butterfly and leaf shapes run in vertical bands across the deep blue, with a seam down the center.

About 17 inches square. Lean on it, or lean it against the sofa.