The Meaning and Making of African Mudcloth

The proper Bambara (spoken language in Mali) term to refer to these kind of fabrics is Bogolanfini. The term is composed of three words:  Bogo, meaning “earth” or “mud”, –lan, meaning “with” and –fini, meaning “cloth”. Hence, the translation currently in use, mud cloth. 

In fact, Bogolan textiles are the result of a hand dyeing and painting process through fermented mud and leaves, a technique the ancient tribes of Mali use since the 12th century . The amazing fact is that the technique hasn’t changed since then. In fact, first, narrow strips of handwoven cotton are pieced together to form a larger rectangular cloth; cloths are then soaked and dyed in baths of leaves and branches of trees, which gives them a yellowish colour; after being sun-dried, cloths are hand painted using mostly fermented rivers’ mud which, for its high concentration of iron, produces mainly dark tones. When fermented plants are added, a wider range of colours come up, including the beautifulrust, caramel and mustard yellow. 

Each cloth, in fact, through its symbols and patterns, tells a story of births, marriages and deaths or make reference to animals, historical events, religion and mythologies of the tribe. It is also believed that the patterns and symbols are imbued with Nyama, which is the vital life force, energy and strength. 

Traditionally, women wore mud cloths when they were initiated into adulthood; men, especially hunters, used them for celebrations.

Many of the Custom Made Denim Jackets from Brownhaze are designed with Mudcloth. If ou are interested in obtainong one of these jackets, please call Len Brown at 818-806-9016 and we can discuss a custom made jacket to fit your style !!!