At Good People, our bags are manufactured by talented local artisans in Madagascar, a country rich in tradition and skill. In this article we will explore the culture surrounding textiles in Madagascar, namely that of silk and raffia, which are critical to Malagasy’s social and ethnic identity. Additionally, we will look at how their textile practices are changing and developing in the modern age.
Part 1: Silk and the Ancestors
Indigenous silk plays an important part in linking the living with their ancestors. Especially for the Merina people in the highlands, where wild silkworm cocoons are collected, unravelled, and woven into lamba mena. Lamba mena translates to “red cloth”, describing its correlation to ancestral authority rather than its real colour. This cloth is used for burial shrouds, which are powerful tools enabling the living to care for and honour their ancestors. Created for the dead, they are seen as so powerful, that they can be dangerous for the living to interact with outside of ceremonies.
Controversy builds as some Malagasy attempt to modernise indigenous silk by incorporating it into clothing, such as stylish tailored suits. Many view this as disrespectful and even life-threatening due to the power burial shrouds hold. However, the offenders argue that once the textile is removed from this context, and altered into something new, it doesn’t disrespect their culture but rather celebrates it. Change is unavoidable, and this adaptation of the archetypal wild silk of the Malagasy highlands is one example of the evolution of their culture.
Part 2: Raffia and Artisanal Crafts
Raffia is a large palm tree that thrives in humid regions. There are just under a hundred reported uses for various parts of the raffia tree, from handicraft to cultural to ecological. At Good People, we take advantage of the leaves of the Raffia Farinifera species, native to Madagascar, to extract the natural fibres we use when weaving our bags. For the Malagasy, traditional clothing and accessories woven from raffia are important to their culture and used for ceremonies like weddings, funerals, and birth celebrations. Another record of the cultural significance of the raffia tree is palm wine made from its sap; sharing it is a sign of gratitude in both business and personal relations.
Since the 20th century, the textile industry in Madagascar has been slowly growing. And whilst it is unable to produce on the same large scales as its competitors, they never stopped. Nowadays, the growing interest in sustainable materials is an exciting opportunity for the artisanal country. Working with French brands, such as Good People, their sustainable practices are being widely promoted, and the future of Malagasy craft looks promising.
All in all, Madagascar’s textiles are rich in tradition. From the ties between ancestry and silk, to the characteristic use of the raffia tree. These traditions are translated into the modern age through commercialisation; whether that be the divisive choice to update the use of indigenous silk, or, in sharing their sustainable craft of raffia with the world. Madagascar’s culture is ever evolving, and we at Good People are excited to see where it leads.
Written by Phoebe Court
References:
A. I. Bortolot, “Kingdoms of Madagascar: Malagasy Textile Arts” in Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Oct. 2003, Available From: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/madg_3/hd_madg_3.htm (Accessed 15-07-24)
R. L. Green, “Divine Worth: Weaving and the Ancestors in Highland Madagascar”, Textile Society of Amerca Symposium Proceedings, Vol. 848, 1996, Available from: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/tsaconf/848
S. M. Kamga, G. Brokamp, A. Cosiaux, et al., “Use and Cultural Significance of Raphia Palms”, Economic Botany, Vol. 74, Mar. 2020, DOI: 10.1007/s12231-020-09487-z
S. Bouhali, “A history of textile in Madagascar: a CSR strategy?”, Medium, Mar. 2023, Available From: https://medium.com/@sofiane_16193/a-history-of-textile-in-madagascar-a-csr-strategy-8b571f3be956
M. Gruca, T. R. van Andel, H. Balslev, “Ritual uses of palms in traditional medicine in sub-Saharan Africa: a review”, Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, Vol. 10, No. 60, Jul. 2014, DOI: 10.1186/1746-4269-10-60
Image 1: historic silk weaving https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA343533128&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=00019933&p=LitRC&sw=w&userGroupName=anon%7E11edc113&aty=open-web-entry
Image 2: raffia trees and farmer https://news.maisonferrand.com/raffia-from-madagascar-a-unique-expertise/
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