Blog

Craftsmanship is another essentially rural activity but that develops in the cities for the part of its production "high-end".. Handicrafts are very often utilitarian and related agricultural activities. In recent years, the quality of a craft more decorative and aesthetic has grown considerably. Many very fine quality handicrafts are exported.

• Embroidery
In the Highlands, especially, the embroidery is a tradition. All girls learn sewing and embroidery, their skill is such that some of the greatest fashion designers in the world relocate their workshops in Madagascar for the finishing of the couture dresses that are the stars of the most famous parades.
Richelieu point but also small naïve and colourful subjects which decorate tablecloths and furniture fabrics bring joy to tourists who never fail to bring back these memories popular.

• Silk
Unique in the world : Madagascar has two types of silk. Natural silk from the silkworm fed Mulberry leaves livestock and wild silk that are harvested in the tapia forests and in many parts of the island. It comes here to large cocoons which is extracted a coarser yarn in varied shades. It is from this wild silk is woven traditional "lambas». If some of these fabrics are a side sacre using shroud the deceased, others are just as valuable in the eyes of men and women who will parent the ceremonies (more rarely today on a daily basis).
Several workshops to visit. Small horizontal trades with their weavers sitting on the ground or large trades whence sometimes come out fabrics which blend raw silk and silk (by incorporating also other materials such as cotton and raffia). Inconceivable not to bring a few copies of these scarves will be so popular during the northern winter and are among the finest ambassadors of the great island.

• Wood crafts
Outside the grounds carved architectural Zafimaniry, classified world heritage of UNESCO, found in the same region around many sculptors Ambositra shaping quantity of objects but also of beautiful figures slender evoking rural scenes.
The art of marquetry is well developed in recent years : boxes, reproduction of paintings...
In the South, the work of woodcarving is associated with funerary art : beautiful called totems "aloalo" overlook the tombs in depicting scenes from the life of the deceased : was it teacher ? Students are wisely aligned to their schoolboy table. Was he a driver ? A taxi-brousse crowded world overcomes this pillar decorated full height. These scenes are extremely endearing.
In the Menabe central, a village of sculptors who use dead wood is to visit : the craftsmen of Marofandilia breed of elegant baobabs, herons...
Wood, available also a whole range of traditional musical instruments : imposing valiha serious bamboo which are only objects of decoration to the flutes, of the most varied forms, which are made by genuine luthiers.

• The tinsmithery
Madagascar, This craft is a synonym for "recycling.". Nothing is lost, everything is transformed. Thus, the bobbin from THB (local beer) or condensed milk box (serving measurement including for rice) find themselves transformed into small car, motorcycle or taxi-brousse.
What are these objects you can find in beautiful European boutiques (which the Museum of primitive arts, Quai Branly in Paris) but you can acquire here with ease.
The artisans at Antsirabe circuit allows you to discover workshops among the "highest in colours" which are.

• Basketry
Large raffia Palms, they extracted a fibre that can be worked in multiple ways. Used with its natural or coloured hue, in the hands of skilled artisans, This fiber becomes bag, Hat, mat... From raffia and rushes or coconut fibres, foreign or Malagasy creators who stayed outside brought a know-how that helps artisans to weave very high invoice objects : such as these hats that its on the heads of the faithful spectators of the spans of Roland Garros !…
In rural areas, they are objects more summaries which are manufactured including the sobika (baskets) that are used for multiple purposes. The villagers of all ages who engage in this traditional craft deserve to be observed for their skill.

• Jewellery
The Malagasy basement is full of precious stones (Ruby, emeralds...) but especially semi-precious. The population of indo-Pakistani origin has brought with it for half a century jewellery techniques.
Malagasy nature being generous to contain in its bowels quantity of gold and silver, no need to indicate that jewelry stores abound.
Many creations that remain within the reach of all budgets know highlight these multicolored stones (Citrine, tourmaline, aquamarine...) crimped on bracelets, pendants, Earrings in gold or silver.
In the South to produce traditional jewellery worn by men including big bracelets called "vangovango"..

• The antemoro paper
The list of Malagasy artisanal products is very long but, without being exhaustive, include the manufacture of antemoro paper. According to ancient methods, born in the Arabian peninsula and which have "landed" on the southeast coast of Madagascar before develop Ambalavao and woody materials from a shrub 'Havoa» cooked and filled precompounded molding process, then dried, pulls off white and granular white paper in which is often incorporated, flower petals that make up delightful imperishable bouquets... Binders, envelopes, shades can be made with this paper. At Ambalavao, You can visit one of the most famous factories where this craft had found its letters of nobility in the early twentieth century.

At Majunga, real magicians fill bottles with sand that make up the very realistic reasons.
At Antsirabe, workshops are transforming the horns of zebu in multiple graceful objects.
Even vanilla beans are forged !

by Hôtel★★★ Restaurant gourmand Coco Lodge Mahajanga.