The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of July 8, 2026

A rectangular dark brown cotton textile is decorated with vertical columns of tan geometric patterns. Five wide bands feature stacked U-shaped enclosures containing hourglass motifs or wavy lines. Narrower strips consist of zigzag lines, rows of triangles, and ladder-like bars. The hand-drawn designs cover the cloth's surface, ending at slightly frayed side edges. The repeating pattern creates a rhythmic horizontal composition.

Wrapper, Mari Ni Ce Cele Da Ro Nyi

c. 1980s

Jokun Suko

(Malian, active 1980s–1990s)
West Africa, Mali
Cotton, dye (bògòlan technique)
Overall: 166.4 x 109.2 cm (65 1/2 x 43 in.)
Gift of Barbara G. Hoffman and Michael R. Short 2025.270
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Bamana men and women in Mali once wore bògòlanfiniw (plural) as clothing tied to special events or professions, or to express their identity.

Description

Jokun Suko was a master of the bògòlan technique, a uniquely Malian form of textile mud dyeing practiced by Bamana culture artists. Pattern motifs in mud cloths are named, presenting a kind of visual vocabulary for both wearers and viewers to understand. This cloth draws its title from its primary motifs: “crocodile;” and “the jealous man’s teeth.”
  • c. 1986
    Jokun Suko (Torokoroni, Mali)
    1986–2025
    Barbara Hoffman
    2025
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=Wrapper, Mari Ni Ce Cele Da Ro Nyi|url=false|author=Jokun Suko|year=c. 1980s|access-date=08 July 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2025.270