UGANDAN HERITAGE

DID YOU KNOW

Barkcloth making in Uganda is on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The Baganda people from the Buganda kingdom in southern Uganda have been practising the ancient craft of barkcloth making for generations.

Vintage - Woman of Uganda in Bark-cloth dress with child

The Ngonge clan, led by a kaboggoza, the hereditary chief craftsman, has been responsible for creating bark cloth for the Baganda royal family and the rest of the community.

by Joyce Nanjobe Kawooya unknown @barktex-barkcloth

The process of preparing barkcloth involves a prehistoric technique that predates weaving, making it one of the oldest human skills.

During the rainy season, the inner bark of the Mutuba tree (Ficus natalensis) is harvested and beaten with various wooden mallets to achieve a soft, fine texture and a consistent terracotta colour. The craftsmen work in an open shed to prevent the bark from drying too quickly.

Unknown woman in Bark-cloth dress Old postcard via @pintrest

The Baganda community still recognizes barkcloth as a symbol of their specific social and cultural traditions. In recent years, the production of barkcloth has been strongly encouraged.

This CO2 neutral material is still in it’s infancy and there is still a lot of potential to make it relevant for today!