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The Meaning of Mudcloth
Each piece
of mud
cloth has a story to tell! The symbols, the arrangement,
color and shape, all reveal different secrets.
Social
statues, characters and occupation, these are all
things which a piece of mudcloth communicates.
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 person you
are!
Here
we'll talk about the meaning, the making, the colors, and the
patterns of the mudcloth.
Here we
show 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 mud cloth. Patterns
and varieties are endless. 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!
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Mudcloth Meanings: |
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Mudcloth Items: |
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Wealth and Luxury
Supposed
to represent the cushions of rich women from the Mauritania area. Such women are so
wealthy: they don’t have to work. Just
rest their heads on pillows such as these!
Beds of
Bamboo and Millet
It is said
that this 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 this assumption.
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Show
luxurious style
with this mudcloth dress!
Each
piece is unique.
All styles vary.
Step
it up with this
black Mudcloth and leather
design handbag.
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Even
without 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 a hand-spun, hand-woven
fabric to produce a rich and elegant textile.
-
To
see other authentic African textiles click here!
Knowing more of the meaning and mindset behind
mudcloth can only add to your
satisfaction and depth of spirit.
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Even
without 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 a hand-spun, hand-woven fabric to produce a rich and
elegant textile.
-
See more Authentic African Fabric
here
Knowing more of the meaning and mindset behind
mudcloth can only add to your
satisfaction and depth of spirit.
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Mudcloth Meanings:
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Mudcloth Items:
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Farmers
Sickle
This
pattern has a unique story. 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
for the back of the sickle.
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Be
a warrior in the game of chess with his Massai warrior chess set.
A calabash can be used as a tambourine, a water drum, and to hold food or
flowers. |
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Spindle
This design represents the spindle.
A very old and traditional
design. |
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Calabash Flowers
The name says it all, a
popular pattern that shows prosperity from the calabash flowers. |
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Brave and Fearless
This pattern represents a
belt used by warriors before they went off to battle. This pattern
therefore signifies being brave and fearless. |
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Iguana's Elbow
A very common pattern as Iguana's
are very
common in many parts of Africa and represent good fortune. An Iguana can
lead a hunter to water and is also symbolic of African people in
warfare with foreign powers. |
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The Making of Mudcloth
- To
see African artisans click here!
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.
The men start the process by weaving cotton thread
on a loom. The loom is normally hand-held and makes a strip of cloth
5"-6" wide. After they weave around 9 panels they sew them together
and then traditionally the women paint and design the cloth.
A mudcloth artist
deals in a specific field. Each concept is 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
fixative solution made from tea. The mud designs are then
hand-painted and the tea sets into the fabric. Mud used to make mudcloth is usually mixed with water and
set aside for about a year.
Using twigs or metal instruments the artist
paints the designs with the
mud, saturating the area so it will not wash out. After being
washed the process is repeated and then dried and put in another solution to
make patterns stand out more. On black and white fabric, a soda is painted on
the areas with no patterns causing then to be white.
Mudcloth
Products:
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Each color has 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.
- To
read African proverbs click here.
Another color popular among hunters and the
Fulani people is the rust. This
color is appreciated because doesn't show dirt and represents 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,
and it's easy to
stain with the dye. White is a color normally worn by women or girls at ceremonial
events. Another rare color is gray which ia also worn by hunters. Cream is a natural color of the mudcloth before it has
been dyed.
Recently many colors have been added to the traditional colors. Bright reds,
purples, yellows, and oranges are constantly being developed by new
artists. Many people view these with disdain
as they are not traditional. |
It is difficult to find the precise meaning
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. Mudcloth is often meant to be interpreted, and
in starting this project there was only a small amount of written information. I
am consistently 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! |
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To
purchase mudcloth and other fabric click here.
This
article is free. You can publish or circulate this article on other websites as
long as you give credit to Africa Imports; and include a link back to
www.africaimports.com at the end of the article.
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