African Art

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.

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 is 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, but they can be a beautiful part of your African Home décor.

The making of mudcloth is a time-consuming process, normally taking four days to a week to complete depending onweather.  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 African 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.

 I found this great article that I think blog readers would like to see that pertains to the origins of African art.

 The origins of African art lie long before recorded history. African rock art in the Sahara in Niger preserves 6000-year-old carvings. The earliest known sculptures are from the Nok culture of Nigeria , made around 500 BCE. Along with sub-Saharan Africa , the cultural arts of the western tribes, ancient Egyptian artifacts, and indigenous southern crafts also contributed greatly to African art. Often depicting the abundance of surrounding nature, the art was often abstract interpretations of animals, plant life, or natural designs and shapes.

 More complex methods of producing art were developed in sub-Saharan Africa around the 10th century, some of the most notable advancements include the bronze work of Igbo Ukwu and the terracottas and metalworks of Ile Ife Bronze and brass castings, often ornamented with ivory and precious stones, became highly prestigious in much of West Africa, sometimes being limited to the work of court artisans and identified with royalty, as with the Benin Bronzes.

 African art article from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This past year my partner and I have worked hard to renovate our classic Victorian-style home. We completely remodeled the kitchen and purchased new appliances. We also stripped the old carpet and installed new hardwood flooring throughout the main level of the house.

Now all we need is some new artwork to decorate our “new” home. The dining room is especially in need of something special. While shopping online, I came across a unique piece of African wall art. I think it will work perfectly with my decorating scheme.