Mud cloth, or bògòlanfini in Bambara, is a traditional West African textile. As the name suggests, the fabric is created using fermented mud to produce pigment for dye. This St. Frank piece, made in central Mali, is comprised of Malian cotton, dyed with mud-based pigment from the Niger river, and decorated with geometric patterns drawn in soap. The patterns often represent animals or other objects from the natural world. Mud cloth was traditionally worn by hunters, offering camouflage, ritual protection, and as a sign of status. More recently, mud cloth has become a symbol of Malian cultural identity and has been exported as an iconic international textile used in fashion, home design, and fine art.