the meaning of masabo    welcome to west africa    quick notes about côte d'ivoire    about fana soro   
about the senoufo people    about traditional music    about traditional dance    about masks   
about the balafon    about the instruments    about oral traditions    about textiles and costumes   
school performance repertoire    masks - music & dance    learning activities    learning links   

The Ivoiriens view textiles and the decorative arts used in textiles as works of art and social communication that cannot be minimized. In particular the art of making Korhogo cloth is a traditional that is handed down from one generation to another. Korhogo cloth is a handpainted fabric by Senoufo weavers. The intricate symbols and patterns drawn on the cloth are evidence of their skill in and mastery of the traditional art of making textiles. The cloth is recognizable by bold figures, usually dark brown or black, painted on plain cotton material, usually white.

Korhogo craftsmen cooperate in an organized manner. Cotton spinning and dyeing are done by women and the weaving is handled by men. Handpainting on the cloth is done with a mixture extracted from the bark and leaves of a shrub. It is used to draw mostly geometric figures and animal motifs such as chickens, lizards, and snakes, as well as important sacred mask figures. Originally the decorated material was used by those being initiated and by hunters and dancers.

See if you can find Korhogo on a map?

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