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The Basotho people traditionally used to dress themselves
in capes made from animal skins, but tribal trends changed
with time and eventually these garments were replaced by the
woven blankets which are still worn in Lesotho today.
Although original blanket designs were influenced by Balinese
blankets brought to Lesotho by German traders, the most popular
patterns have changed over time, reflecting different influences
and shifts in political affiliation. One of the most popular
and prized styles is known as the ‘Victoria’, in
deference to the British monarch under whose reign the blanket
trade flourished.
Master Craftsmen
Lesotho blankets are hand-woven by local women, using a fine
mix of 12% cotton and 88% wool from the flocks that graze
on the nearby hillsides. They are not only comfortable and
durable garments, but are often beautiful works of art. Popular
patterns and colours vary from tribe to tribe, though over
the years some famous styles and symbols have become established
‘labels’, for example:
- Sandringham blankets were specially designed for
use in horse-drawn carriages, intended to keep the traveller
warm and dry on a long journey. They were modelled upon those
used by Queen Victoria when travelling to Sandringham Castle.
- The royal visit to Basutoland is commemorated in
the depiction of the British crown, and aeroplanes and military
insignia symbolise the Second World War.
- Crocodiles, torches and the Maluti Mountains represent
the country’s new-found freedom, and its new name, Lesotho.
Ceremonial uses for Lesotho blankets
Although blanket styles have been subject to outside influences,
they still fulfil important ceremonial functions within Basotho
society:
- Before her wedding day, a woman spends a great deal
of time trying on and selecting blankets for her trousseau.
Women’s blankets are quite different to men’s –
they are designed to be pinned over their bosom whereas the
men pin them to the right shoulder.
- Boys preparing for the circumcision ritual don a
special fertility blanket known as a moholobela.
After the ceremony he’s considered to have reached manhood,
and wears another kind of blanket, called the lekhokolo.
- On the occasion of his wedding, a man wears a motlotlehi,
and he presents his wife with a serope when
their first child is born. |
