Artwork Page for One of a pair of shawls (Lamba Landy Fotsy)

Details / Information for One of a pair of shawls (Lamba Landy Fotsy)

One of a pair of shawls (Lamba Landy Fotsy)

1900s

Africa, East Africa, Madagascar

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Medium
Silk (Bombyx mori and Borocera cajani)
Measurements
Part 1: 74 x 211 cm (29 1/8 x 83 1/16 in.)
Credit Line
Sundry Art - African Art Fund and Textile Fund 2025.273.1
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

Invented in the mid-1800s, shawls like this were popular until about 2000.

Description

A lamba is an untailored textile worn by all ages, classes, and genders across much of Madagascar. This is an example of a woman’s garment made after Queen Ranavalona II made Christianity the state religion of the Merina Kingdom. Soon after, all-white lamba became popular for both Sunday church and daily wear. Fotsy is white in the Malagasy language. Indicating its owner’s worldliness, the white-on-white patterns alluded to fashionable imported textiles with damask patterns.
A long, vertical off-white silk textile features a checkerboard grid of alternating woven squares. One square consists of three pointed leaves fanning upward, while the adjacent square contains vertical, mirrored zigzag patterns. These repetitive geometric and botanical designs are rendered in a monochromatic palette with a subtle woven sheen. The top and bottom ends are finished with a long, twisted fringe, framing the rectangular piece.

One of a pair of shawls (Lamba Landy Fotsy)

1900s

Africa, East Africa, Madagascar

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