A Kikoi or Kikoy is a rectangular woven cloth, popular in East Africa, especially in Kenya and Tanzania, used as a sarong (wrapper) or shawl. The word Kikoi in Kiswahili simply means ” something to wrap around you”. This 100% cotton cloth which was introduced by the Arabian businessmen who came to East Africa, has…
Fugu means cloth in Moshie language in Ghana. The Moshies who migrated from Burkina Faso to settle in Northern Ghana, were the ones who brought in this fabric. It is also known as Bingba or Batakari in other parts of Ghana. The fugu fabric is made from cotton threads woven on simple hand looms into…
The Basotho Hat is a conical grass woven hat with a distinct topknot. It is also called a Mokorotlo. In the early 1900s the hat was worn by tribal chiefs, who chanted a combat/praise song known as ‘mokorotlo’ while making their way to the chiefs’ court. The hat’s conical shape is said to be inspired…
1. In 1860 Europeans gave King Moshoeshoe. I. of Lesotho Kingdom a woolen blanket as a gift. The king was so delighted with the blanket that he abandoned the leopard skin he usually wore for it. 2. In 1897 when Queen Victoria visited Basuto land, she presented a blanket as gift to King Lerotholi Letsie….
Ghana Traditional Wedding List 1. Bride price The bride price may be in form of an undisclosed amount of money or property. It is given to the wife’s family as a form of compensation for “taking their daughter”. Originally, this bride price or dowry used to be given to the bride to…
The Sefate is by the Basotho people as an everyday blanket. It comes in the Ace and corncob designs. This blanket is worn at all national days and traditional festivities of the Basotho. The blanket carries the national symbols like the crown, crocodile and spears. The crocodile is the totem of the royal Kwena tribe, and…
The Khotso is the only blanket to be manufactured from acrylic. It is also available in a smaller sizes, which makes it suitable for children and also favoured by tourists as a souvenir. The Khotso Collection comprises of the Mojalefa (the heir), Cards and Poone (corncob).
This blanket was created to honour the birth of Crown Prince Lerotholi in 2007. The design features a collection of elaborate hearts which symbolise the love of the Basotho people for the Royal Family. “Motlatsi” means successor in title.
