Collection record · Dress & textiles
Pair of shawls (Lamba Landy Fotsy)
The collection record classifies this work as textile. It is dated 1900s. Recorded culture or place: unknown weaver (French Madagascar or Malagasy Republic), Merina style.
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A closer look at the details.
- Museum title
- Pair of shawls (Lamba Landy Fotsy)
- Date
- 1900s
- Culture / origin
- unknown weaver (French Madagascar or Malagasy Republic), Merina style
- Materials and technique
- Silk
- Dimensions
- Part 1: 74 x 211 cm (29 1/8 x 83 1/16 in.); Part 2: 61 x 213 cm (24 x 83 7/8 in.)
- Artist / maker
- Not specified by the museum
- Museum
- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Accession number
- 2025.273
FROM THE MUSEUM
In the museum’s words
The following description is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art’s original English record.
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.
FOLLOW THE SOURCE
Text and image sources
The Cleveland Museum of Art · Sundry Art - African Art Fund and Textile Fund · CC0
The summary is based on public collection data. Refer to the museum’s latest record for the title, date and attribution.
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