The Meaning of Mudcloth

You will gain tremendous enjoyment and satisfaction with the information that follows. You will see this traditional African fabric as more than a beautiful hand painted work of art. You will find African proverbs to dwell on that will enrich your life. You will see what makes up the mind and soul of African culture.

This pattern shows wealth and luxury.   It is supposed to represent the cushions of rich woman from the Mauritania area. These woman are considered very wealthy: they don't have to work, just put their heads on pillows.

This is one of the more common mudcloth symbols. It represents the talking drum, which is used to call warriors to battle as well as to frighten animals while hunting.

This pattern reflects the love of a family and community. The circle represents the house of the family and the dot in the middle is the family. It is supposed to represent a unity between the family members.

This represents a bed of bamboo and millet leaves. It is said that the pattern is used by a woman who wishes to show her superiority to a co-wife. However, the pattern is extremely popular and so it is not always assumed that a woman wearing it is making that assumption.

Even without these meanings being well known, mudcloth has become tremendously popular lately in the western world. An extraordinarily beautiful fabric; the unique and exotic colors and designs combine with an almost impossible to find hand spun and hand woven fabric to produce a rich and elegant textile. No extra meaning is needed to gain pleasure from this art form. Knowing more of the meaning and mindset behind this art form can only add to your satisfaction and depth of spirit. Please check this page again for more information.

This pattern has a unique story behind it. A farmer had a sickle he particularly liked. It worked well for him and he thought it deserved its own pattern. So this pattern is named the back of the sickles blade.

An interesting pattern, which refers to the bone of the snake.

Each piece of mudcloth has a story to tell. The symbols, and the way in which they are arranged, as well as the color and shape of the mudcloth reveals a variety of different secrets. Social statues, a persons character or occupation are all things which a piece of mudcloth tells. Even now, African people are very careful about what they wear, as each fabric, color, and dress is interpreted by others. What you wear shows what kind of a person you are!
Here we have just a few of the many symbols you'll find in a piece of mudcloth. There are many symbols not shown here which you may find in your mudcloth if you look closely, the patterns and varieties are endless. So bookmark this page now! We'll have different patterns and designs added regularly and you may find your patterns soon. Also, many meanings differ depending on the region, ethnic group, or individual. So do not be surprised if someone tells you a meaning different then you see here!

This design represents the spindle. A very old and traditional design.

This pattern is another pattern that is found often. It represents the flower of the calabash.

The Making of Mudcloth

The making of mudcloth is a time-consuming process, normally taking four days to a week to complete depending on weather. Each piece is made of 100% cotton, and is completely and totally hand-made. Normally mudcloth is made totally from scratch. The men start the process by weaving cotton thread on a loom. The loom is normally hand-held and makes a strip of cloth five to six inches wide. For a normal sized ( 6'x45") piece they will weave nine panels and then sew them together. From then on the women have traditionally painted and designed the cloth.

A mudcloth artist is much like any western artist dealing in a specific field. Each concept must be taught and learned over a long period of time. A person wishing to work in the art of mudcloth has to be taught how to make each of the different dyes out of organic substances, as well as how each of the substances will react with the fabric and fixatives.

The first step in making the cloth is to set it in a solution that dyes the cloth yellow and acts as the fixative: typically this is a tea made from the Bogolon tree which is native to Mali, West Africa. The mud designs are then hand painted onto the cloth with the tea acting as a fixative for the mud dye. The mud used to make mudcloth is usually mixed with water and then set aside to sit for about one year.

Using twigs or metal instruments the artist will paint the designs with the mud, being sure to saturate the area so it will not wash out. The fabric is then washed and another layer is applied over the first. The fabric is then dried and put in an organic solution to make the patterns appear darker. Finally, on black and white fabric, a soda is painted on to the areas that have no patterns. This bleaches the fabric causing it to regain its original cotton white.

When wearing a cloth with this design a person is signifying that they are brave and fearless. This pattern represents a belt used by warriors before they went off to battle.

Iguana's elbow. A very common pattern. Iguana's may be very common in parts of Africa. This may represent good fortune as an Iguana can lead a hunter to water. The Iguana is also symbolic of African born people in warfare with foreign powers.

The Colors of Mudcloth

Each color in a mudcloth sheet has its own meaning. The most traditional coloring has been the black background with white designs. This is typically used for story telling or the portrayal of a proverb.

Another color popular among hunters, and the Fulani people is the rust. This color is preferred as it does not show dirt and also as it is supposed to represent the strong supernatural powers that protect the hunter. The rust color signifies blood either from the hunt, or from warfare. Because mudcloth is made from the soils, it has been useful to both groups as a form of camouflage.

White mudcloth is perhaps the most difficult fabric to make as it is easy to stain with the dye: it is typically worn by girls and women in ceremonial events. Another color rarely seen is gray, this color is worn as camouflage by hunters. The cream color is the natural color of the mudcloth before it has been dyed. Many of the other colors also represent meanings.

Recently many colors have been added to the traditional colors. Bright reds, purples, yellows and oranges are all new colors that are being developed by new artists.   Many people of older generations view the newer colors with disdain as they are not made in the traditional ways.

Patterns of Mudcloth

Mudcloth is often meant to be interpreted, and many times there are long discussions on how the patterns should be put together. These are just a sampling of some of the more common patterns and their meanings.   Many times there is no symbolic meaning: the colors and patterns are simply meant to be beautiful.
It is difficult to find precise meanings as different people have different meanings that they will give to the same pattern or color combination. It is important to find information from as many different sources as possible to avoid individual biases. We will soon be interviewing mudcloth artisans from Mali; and knowledgeable people in the US as well.
In starting this project, there was a very small amount of written material; and a proportionately small number of people with this information. I asked dozens of dealers in Mudcloth (most of whom are from Africa); but found only one who knew anything about the meanings behind it. In fact, many didn't even know that there was any symbolic meaning. I am constantly asked to interpret the meanings behind some of these designs; and am enriched by watching people become excited by the stories behind their own fabric.

MANY THANKS TO WAYNE KILTZ FOR THIS COMPILATION ON MUDCLOTH.

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