Mud cloth

1990

This mud towel is made for the tourist market and a depiction of everyday life. The weaving width is 13,5 cm. The threads of the weaving are Z-spun, the weaving is 13 threads in the warp and 10 threads in the weft and the threads are (grey) beige coloured. The threads in irregular zigzag stitch are S, 3z spun by machine and probably not of cotton. The machine works irregularly (see M6-52).‖ The image is a perspective painting of the mosque at Djenné with a knight in the foreground. Women are carrying baskets and wood. A man can also be seen, and in the lower left corner a boy holding a flag. Probably a French flag. The drawing initially appears to have been painted in a somewhat coarser manner and by the second layer of mud the drawing has become more refined. This canvas is outlined in black with a simple corner decoration.‖ Maker unknown.