Bogolanfini? (Mali) Mud Cloth Cotton, dyed

In Mali, women employ a unique process of cloth decorating. They create a special pigment of mud and leaves and then apply it to cloth. The designs are created through a negative patterning process, where paint is not applied to certain areas in order to create a pattern. The design becomes evident in the white, rather than within the dyed, areas. They allow the painted cloth to oxidize in the sun so its full color can come forth.