Afri-root Collective is a socially responsible business that sells exquisite artwork from various talented and highly skilled artisans in East Africa. “In 2005, UNESCO proclaimed Ugandan bark cloth a “masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage o...
Afri-root Collective is a socially responsible business that sells exquisite artwork from various talented and highly skilled artisans in East Africa. “In 2005, UNESCO proclaimed Ugandan bark cloth a “masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity”. This honor and recognition of indigenous textile production skills of Ugandan craftsmen raised the profile of bark cloth. Reviving its use can boster income for Ugandan farmers and provide training for women in the art of accessory design.”
- the late Sara Katebalirwe, was an initiator of the design of bark cloth
Bark cloth is processed from Ficus nantalensis, a fig tree species locally called "mutuba". Bark is stripped from the tree, (without killing the tree) soaked in water and then beaten with different types of wooden mallets to make its texture soft and fine. Craftsmen work in an open shed to protect the bark from drying out too quickly.beaten with a mallet and dried.
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