Brown and Black Bogolan Fabrics

Bogolanfani is one of the most famous African fabrics in the world, particularly prized by the African-American community in the United States. Bogolans, made in Mali north of Bamako, were used as loincloths for pregnant women and as clothing for hunters, which they protected from the spirits. Initially the bogolan is a white fabric made up of bands sewn edge to edge. Macerations of tree leaves, mud and mud are then affixed to the bogolans to create white geometric patterns obtained by reserve on a brown or black tinted background.