Hand-spun cotton, indigo resist-dye (nichirin and stitch-resist variants), composed of narrow strip-woven panels joined selvedge-to-selvedge. Burkina Faso. Circa 1940s–1960s

Conservation mounted on a stretcher.

An exceptional mid-century Mossi woman's wrapper, distinguished by its exceptionally graphic alternation of vertical reserve-dyed stripes and dotted motifs. The composition is unusually dynamic: elongated white bands punctuated by ovoid and diamond resist marks (“eyes” and “seeds”), set against a deep, mottled indigo ground. The hand-spun cotton yarn lends an organic irregularity; the slight wavering of the stripes is characteristic of Mossi strip-loom weaving and forms part of its aesthetic appeal. The cloth displays the complexity of Mossi dye practices of the period: multiple resist techniques, fold-tie, stitch-tie and bundle binding, applied in sequence to create layered patterning. The indigo shows pleasing tonal variation, from inky midnight to washed denim, indicating repeated dips and age-softened oxidation.