Beautifully grainy, incredibly tough {hence perfect for upholstery}, and available in classic colours such as white, black & indigo, mud cloth has become one of the trendiest of vintage accessories to have in our homes lately. Some would even argue that it has become a little “too” trendy. Large chain retailers have now gotten on the bandwagon of the sale of these prized pillows. But, what is mud cloth really?
Facts about mud cloth
A handmade Malian textile crafted from strips of hand-spun cotton fabric. It gets its graphic pattern from being dyed and covered numerous times by skilled artisans with mud that has been fermented for up to a year.
Mud cloth was traditionally hand-spun by men and dyed by women as far back as the 12th century.
Before any mud is applied, the hand-spun cotton textile is soaked in a dye bath made from leaves of the n’gallama tree, turning it yellow. A chemical reaction occurs when the cloths are sun-dried, leaving the dark color on the dyed cloth after the mud is removed. Once the woven fabric reaches its deep brown color, motifs (which each represent something different) are painted on with a bleach or soap to render the designs white.
It derives its English name from the Bambaran word bògòlanfini, which is a composite of bogo, meaning “earth” or “mud”, lan, meaning “with” and fini, meaning “cloth.”
shopping {more}
Here are some more mud cloth options to peruse through.
I love pillows and these are pretty great: a white pillow, a white on black pillow or a black arrows on white mud cloth, and this light blue version.
For the table: placemats & table cloth
In the living room: settee & pompom throw
Fashion accessories: cute clutch & cosmetic case
source: Erin Fetherston
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