The Fula, often called Fulani, is an ethnic group in the Sahara, Sahel and West Africa. They live mainly in West Africa and northern parts of Central Africa. A significant proportion of the Fula - approximately 7 to 10 million people (about a third of the population) - are pastoralists. The Fula are almost entirely Muslims.

As pastoralists, they have a wide variety of wool products for use in weaving. The most important product of Fulani weaving is the "khasa blanket"; and the khasa blanket collected in Liberia by Walter Logan Fry is one of the most impressive items in his collection, albeit the red dye in the "dakol boderi” (see below) caused serious deterioration of the blanket all across the band, and there are other areas of deteriration, as well.

The motif design of a "khasa" blanket contains a wealth of meanings. The pattern at the bottom of the fabric is called "bitjirgal", a water receiver that drops water from a container to the ground. A symbol of motherhood and fertility, it shows a woman's sexual organs (central diamond), as well as her shoulders, hands and feet (smaller diamonds and connecting lines). The wide red stripe above the bitjirgal is called "dakol boderi. This pattern illustrates the mouth (red stripe), the gums and the teeth (black lines and white dots) of the woman. Above the dakol boderi in this khasa blanket is the central design element, called “landal.” It is the largest and most impressive element of the blanket. The towering black lines hold the routes for herd migration to search for food. The peaks represent the hills on which shelters are built to provide protection to withstand the annual floods. This cloth is an expression of individuality and recollection for the Fula.

Source: Bachelor Thesis of Annekathrin Schmid. Saxon University of Zwickau, Zwickau, Germany. Registration and identification number: 27561/ 082981. July 2, 2012.

The textile below is a khasa blanket in the Minneapolis Institute of Art.