Bogolan

Bogolan, also widely known outside Mali by the French-derived name mud cloth, is a textile dyeing technique from Mali in which handwoven cotton cloth is first dyed a yellow base color using a solution made from the leaves of the n'gallama tree, and patterns are then hand-painted onto the cloth using fermented river mud, which has been aged for up to a year in a clay jar, the aging and iron content of the mud producing a chemical reaction with the dyed cloth that leaves a dark, colorfast pattern once the dried mud is later washed away. Traditionally practiced by Bamana women, who pass the specific patterns and their meanings down within families, bogolan patterns are frequently symbolic, referencing historical events, proverbs, or social status, and the finished cloth has traditionally been used for garments including hunters' tunics believed to carry protective properties. The word bogolan comes from the Bamana language, combining bogo for mud or earth and lan for made with or means of, and the technique has also been adapted by contemporary Malian textile artists, notably Chris Seydou, into wider fashion and fine art use.