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Collector's Notes on Pagne "Tourousina"

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Pagne "Tourousina" (Bamana) Nakunte Diarra, Binde Diarra, Bamana people (Mali)
Pagne "Tourousina" (January 2004)
cotton, earth pigment, plant dye, bleaching agent
118.0 x 201.0 cm
Field collected by Claire Grace with funds from the Haffenreffer Special Fund
2004-1-18
This is a skirt, or pagne (wrapper) made out of bògòlanfini, or mud cloth. The Haffenreffer commissioned this piece from Nakunte Diarra, an internationally renowned bògòlanfini practitioner, and her son Binde Diarra in January 2004. Titled "Tourousina" this pagne is composed of strip cloth, which is used for both ceremonial and everyday wear by bògòlanfini makers. As one might infer from the phrase mud cloth, bògòlanfini is a decorative tradition which uses specially fermented mud in conjunction with pre-treated cloth to create designs. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's catalog,
"Although the technique used superficially resembles a resist technique, it is one of direct application of the colorant onto a pre-mordanted cloth. The designs appear as the unpainted areas when the background is painted with a specially prepared fine black clay. A spatula or feather is used to apply the paint onto the surface. Once the surface is dry, both the clay and the yellow color are removed through the application of specially prepared "soaps," leaving a gray-white ground. In addition to their powerful graphic qualities, the designs and patterns left on the cloths hold symbolic significance."
The artist Nakunte Diarra is famous for both her technical skill in this process as well as her artistic sensibility. In this 1993 New York Times article that featured her work, the author gives this description of her art: "What distinguishes her fabrics from most other mud-dyed cloths are the sharp contrasts achieved between light and dark elements, the clarity of the images and the fresh combinations of traditional motifs. While her patterns appear symmetrical, some are not: Motifs are purposely injected here and there as if to tease the eye." This photograph of the collector's notebook, below, includes images of some of the motifs used in "Tourousina" with notes from the artists on their symbolism. How many of these symbols can you find in the skirt?

A skirt like this, had it not been commissioned for a museum collection, would be part of a new brides dowry and her wardrobe for everyday and festive wear.