Artwork Page for Wrapper, Mari Ni Ce Cele Da Ro Nyi

Details / Information for Wrapper, Mari Ni Ce Cele Da Ro Nyi

Wrapper, Mari Ni Ce Cele Da Ro Nyi

c. 1980s

Jokun Suko

(Malian, active 1980s–1990s)
Culture
West Africa, Mali
Medium
Cotton, dye (bògòlan technique)
Measurements
Overall: 166.4 x 109.2 cm (65 1/2 x 43 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Barbara G. Hoffman and Michael R. Short 2025.270
Copyright
Copyright
This artwork is known to be under copyright.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

Bamana men and women in Mali once wore bògòlanfiniw (plural) as clothing tied to special events or professions, or to express their identity.

Description

Jokun Suko was a master of the bògòlan technique, a uniquely Malian form of textile mud dyeing practiced by Bamana culture artists. Pattern motifs in mud cloths are named, presenting a kind of visual vocabulary for both wearers and viewers to understand. This cloth draws its title from its primary motifs: “crocodile;” and “the jealous man’s teeth.”
A rectangular dark brown cotton textile is decorated with vertical columns of tan geometric patterns. Five wide bands feature stacked U-shaped enclosures containing hourglass motifs or wavy lines. Narrower strips consist of zigzag lines, rows of triangles, and ladder-like bars. The hand-drawn designs cover the cloth's surface, ending at slightly frayed side edges. The repeating pattern creates a rhythmic horizontal composition.

Wrapper, Mari Ni Ce Cele Da Ro Nyi

c. 1980s

Jokun Suko

(Malian, active 1980s–1990s)
West Africa, Mali

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