Cloth, not a tapa?

Don't think this qualifies as a tapa, but wdik? Hand stitched between panels, the whole thing is about three feet by 2-1/2. Is it African? What part of the world would this be from, and when?

 

Your cloth is from Ivory Coast/Cote d'Ivoire, West Africa, made by the Senufo people. Called mudcloth, or Korhogo cloth (from the town where much of it is made). The designs are painted on using a vegetal solution and a special iron-rich mud which together act as a dye. The cloth is cotton.

https://collection.maas.museum/object/441985

https://tdsblog.com/korhogo/

 

I am not sure, but from my vast experience with this art form (15 minutes) I have noticed that most have patterns, that they tend to look a little "shinier", and the white is not common. If they are figural in design, there tends to be more than one color. All that being said, Hmmm....I am not sure. Good question!


See!?

 

There is a similar tradition in neighboring Mali of a cloth called bogolanfini (which I erroneously referred to in the first draft of my reply, since removed). It more often uses geometric designs, and 3 colors (the white of the cloth, the black, and a tan).

https://collection.maas.museum/object/441983

But Jeff's cloth is definitely a Senufo Korhogo cloth.

 

The cloth is made of hand spun cotton, woven in narrow strips and then sewn together. This is a very old tradition in West Africa. "Strip weaving" is done by men, while women weavers work on wider, upright looms.

https://katherineladd.com/2012/08/30/african-strip-weaving/

 

Very interesting, thank you!