Bogolan or ‘Mud cloth’ – is one of Africa’s most unusual and unique textiles. Narrow strips of handwoven cotton are stitched together into a whole cloth, then painted with patterns and symbols using a variety of natural dyes, including river mud that has been aged up to one year. As these cloths are handwoven, the thickness and weight are variable, but generally they are similar to a light blanket. This candle is inspired by these designs and each one has been handmade by expert candle-makers in the mountain Kingdom of Eswatini. As they’re handmade, no two candles will be exactly the same. As all candles are handmade, please expect some differences in sizing and patterns. 

How the candles are made: To create coloured wax, pigments are mixed with hot wax and poured onto flat sheets. After marking and cutting the sheets, they are carefully layered according to the desired design. The resulting slabs are compressed, extruded, re-extruded, and then sliced into thin veneers. Candlemakers then stretch these veneers over a pure white wax core and carefully handcraft them into the desired shapes.

Sizing:
Height: Approx. 7cm
Width: Approx. 9cm
Each candle burns for approximately 30 hours.