Senoufo Home Decor

The artist paints the cloth using a specially fermented mud-based and natural vegetal pigment (each element is grown, produced, or mined locally) that darkens over time, and the designs are usually drawn on using a stencil.

The paintings are usually decorated with  drawings or symbols representing humans, natural elements like the sun, moon and stars and animals, all of which are deeply rooted in Senufo culture and mythology. The Senufo use the finished cloth as a shield against evil or unwanted spirits, by wearing or hanging them in their homes or shrines. The painted cloth is also commissioned for hunters (important heroic figures) and rite of passage events like funerals or poro initiations.

Men and women are involved in the fabrication of the cloth. Both cultivate the cotton in their local region. The women are responsible for spinning the cotton into yarn and preparing the natural dyes, while men typically weave and decorate the cloth. Upon competition, the fabric is often used for clothing, decor, and many more. You may introduce them to your own home or office by shopping here.