Mat Item Number: K2.348 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Rectangular woven grass mat with linear patterning in purple, green, yellow, natural and red. Woven as a cloth with warp and weft. Bound at one end with a strip of yellow cloth with purple, green and white floral patterning.
For sitting, sleeping and praying.
Weaving techniques and materials in Benin vary from region to region. Common materials are bulrushes and water hyacinths. After a plant is plucked, its leaves and roots are removed. The remaining stem is then dried for a month before being woven.