Lamba (garment)

They could range in color from a tie-dyed mess or solid white cloth, to striped red, white and black cloth found in most parts of the island, the geometric patterns in unique shades of green and brown produced by a handful of Sakalava villages, or the brilliantly multi-colored, complex weaves favored by the pre-colonial Merina aristocracy.

[2] Today, it is common to find printed cotton or rayon lambas produced in India for the Malagasy market in addition to those fabricated locally.

[3] Besides its daily use as basic clothing, the lamba is also used for tying children to mothers' backs or as a cushion when carrying a heavy object on top of the head.

It is many types in Madagascar A printed cotton lamba typically featuring a proverb on the lower border of the design, identical to the kangas worn throughout eastern Africa.

These are traditionally made of printed cotton featuring a repeated border design that encloses either a secondary pattern (often around a central medallion) or a large image depicting a pastoral scene from daily life.

They may also serve as light blankets, sheets, an apron, a transport sack, a tablecloth or a sunshade, and when tightly coiled they can be used as a cushion when carrying heavy objects on top of the head.

[8] In recent years, the interest in (and demand for) traditional, highly colored lamba akotofahana has increased among well-to-do Malagasy expatriates, tourists and textile aficionados, which has led to a resurgence in their production and sale in fine art galleries in Antananarivo.

[9] Contemporary artists have turned their attention to the resurrection of these ancient, half-forgotten techniques, producing unique works of art featured in exhibitions at internationally renowned museums.

At the American Museum of Natural History, for instance, a lamba akotofahana was displayed that had been woven entirely from the silk threads produced by the female golden orb-weaver spider.

[10] A lamba akotofahana exhibiting the full range of colors and detailed patterns of the shawls worn by pre-colonial nobles, woven by artist Martin Rakotoarimanana, has likewise been recently displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.