Vintage African Mali Mud Cloth Handmade Indigenous Folk Art 48x38" NIP Brown
Cleaning out house for downsizing; probably a souvenir purchased while traveling. Looks to have been packaged in the 1970s??
Still in the package--never been used.
Item smells earthy--it is made from natural items after all.
The dye technique is associated with several Malian ethnic groups, but the Bamana version has become best known outside Mali. In the Bambara language, the word bògòlanfini is a composite of bɔgɔ, meaning "earth" or "mud"; lan, meaning "with" or "by means of"; and fini, meaning "cloth". Although usually translated as "mud cloth," bògòlan actually refers to slip clay with a high iron content. The iron in the clay will stain handspun and handwoven cotton textiles black.
Bògòlanfini patterns are rich in cultural significance, referring to historical events (such as a famous battle between a Malian warrior and the French), crocodiles (significant in Bambara mythology), and other objects, mythological concepts, or proverbs. Since about 1980, Bògòlanfini has become a symbol of Malian cultural identity and is being promoted as such by the Malian government. (from Wikipedia)
Will be shipped in a plastic envelope
Non-smoking and non-pet home.