How To Make A Set of Authentic Mud Cloth Coasters

Bokolonfini is the Bambara name for the strip woven cotton cloth that women in Mali use. Commonly, this is referred to as mud cloth. That’s because the cloth is first soaked in a dye made from bark and leaves, then the design is painted on with a thick mud containing iron acetate collected from the bottom of lakes. This process is passed down generationally, and often, pattern meanings are known only to small communities of people. 

Hunters wear mud cloth as ritual protection and a badge of status. Immediately after childbirth, women are wrapped in the cloth, as it is believed to have the power to absorb pain and defect anything harmful or dangerous. 

The pattern on the Mud Cloth used to make these coasters is called Wosoko. The design is named for the back of a farmer’s sickle blade. 

Now that you have some history on this beautiful fabric, let’s make some coasters.