African mud cloth originated in West Africa in the 12th century A.D. Known as "bogolanfini," mud cloth is a long-practiced tradition among the Bamana of Mali, who have used the cloth's particular hand weaving and dyeing techniques for centuries, according to the Cornell University Library. Making mud cloth involves multiple applications of plant and tree juices, as well as mud, to decorate cotton fabric.
Fabric
Mud cloth artists prepare hand-spun cotton for either little hand looms or double heddle looms, in which both the warp and weft sets of threads are attached to separate heddles. During the looming process, artists weave the cotton into narrow strips, known as "finimugu." They stitch together anywhere from five to nine of these strips into a panel. The panels range in size from 32 inches by 48 inches to 45 inches by 72 inches. Artists then place the panels in boiling water, shrinking the fabric to its permanent form.
Fixative
Artists soak the cotton panels, once shrunk and dried, in a yellow solution made from the crushed bark or leaves of native trees in Mali. This special solution acts as a fixative, enabling the cotton to absorb mud paint. The panels assume the yellow color of the solution, but fade to some degree when drying in sunlight.
Mud Dye
To prepare the mud dye, artists collect iron-rich mud from local watering holes and place it in containers to ferment for a year. During this time, the mud turns black. Artists use reeds, sticks, bamboo strips, feathers and palm-fiber brushes to paint mud on the fabric. They fill in the background and leave the actual design alone, as if painting the negative of the image. Artists will repeat this process, applying the mud paint several times to attain rich, bright colors.
Designs
Mud cloth designs weave together symbols into patterns that tell a story, which typically depicts a life transition. Such transitions may include birth, a rite of passage, marriage or death. Designs can also reveal an individual's character, status or occupation.
Rinse and Bleach
Once the cloth has reached the desired state, Artists wash the cloth in an acidic solution made of herbs, grasses and leaves to heighten the color and eliminate any grit. To bleach the areas that were not painted with mud and remain yellow, artists apply bleach or Sodani, a caustic soda, which whitens the fabric.
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