Melfha
Purple and blue tie-dye
A melfha (or melhfa) is the traditional, elegant wrap textile worn by women across Mauritania, southern Morocco, Western Sahara, and the broader Sahel all the way to Sudan. Typically measuring about 4.5 meters by 1.5 meters, this long , unstitched rectangular cloth is wrapped gracefully around the body and head, serving as a symbol of cultural identity, modesty, and grace.
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Historically acquired via centuries of trans-Saharan and Indian subcontinent trade routes, melftha are traditonally decorated with tie-dye or resist dyeing techniques. Artisans bind, fold, or stitch specific areas of the cloth before dipping it into multi-colored dye baths to create organic, bleeding geometric or circular patterns.
Title: Melfha
Date: 2018
Geography: Mauritania
Medium: Cotton
Dimensions: H. 177 in. W. 59 in.
Provenance: Purchased in Tamegroute, Morocco
Inventory Number: MA.02
