Hunter’s Shirt: Bògòlanfini or Bogolan Cloth
Artist: Bamana Peoples (African)
Date: Mid 20th century
Dimensions:
H. 33 1/2 in. (85.1 cm): W. 31 1/2 in. (80 cm).
Medium: Cotton with mud-dyed painted design called bògòlanfini in Mali culture.
Place of Origin: Mali, Beledougou region
Classification: Textiles and Fiber
Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Richard H. Slater
Object number: 1981.133
Label Text:This hunting shirt from Mali features a secret form of writing. Literally meaning “mud-cloth,” bògòlanfini garments like this one are woven by men of the Bamana people of Mali and painted with mud-dyes by elderly Bamana women, who guard the knowledge of the profound meaning of the designs they paint into the cloth.
Through geometric motifs that form a rigorous graphic system of communication, bògòlanfini embody medicinal knowledge, historical facts, and moral precepts. Imbued with such information, the shirts are considered so potent that they must never be worn by another person after the original owner’s death. Bamana mud-cloth garments are considered documents, because they carry accumulated knowledge belonging to society.
Through geometric motifs that form a rigorous graphic system of communication, bògòlanfini embody medicinal knowledge, historical facts, and moral precepts. Imbued with such information, the shirts are considered so potent that they must never be worn by another person after the original owner’s death. Bamana mud-cloth garments are considered documents, because they carry accumulated knowledge belonging to society.
DescriptionConstructed of 7 long strip weavings sewn together lengthwise.
Not on view
In Collection(s)