Beautiful handmade leather bag made from cow leather, sustainably sourced in South Africa, finished off with the traditional bogolan, a handmade Malian cotton fabric traditionally dyed with fermented mud.
This beautiful Handbag is handcrafted and hand stitched with the highest quality finishes, Ykk zips and a practical, deep pocket inside.
Perfect market bag, travel and everyday bag. Strong, durable, and made to last.
Please note each bag is unique, and has slight coloring variations, Our leather range is all handmade and that is what we love about them! This design comes in 2 colors, black and camel with different mudcloth variations ( brown or black)
▲MUDCLOTH, Thin strips of plain fabric are woven together into squares that are then stitched together. After the construction of the cloth, the fabric is then dyed in baths of leaves and branches. This process is used to bind the dye to the fabric.
The fabric is then laid out to dry in the sun, after which beautiful patterns are intricately and carefully painted using a special kind of mud. The mud, collected from numerous streams and ponds and left to ferment over seasons.
As the mud dries, it changes colors, from dark brown or black to a gray color. The excess mud is washed off the fabric and the process is repeated many times. With each repetition, the affected area becomes darker. The unpainted areas are treated with a bleaching agent, turning the natural yellow color brown. After sun drying for a week, the fabric is washed off and leaves the characteristic white pattern on a dark background.
The production process is long and tedious yet the finished product is indeed a work of art.
Each leather creation has been designed by us and made by a local Artisan from Zimbabwe. Together we create designs and support his production. By creating small jobs, we hope to empower and support small scale artisans in Africa, encouraging their creativity and supporting their small businesses.