Just as Easter eggs are to Russia, a look at the lamba cloth and their use as gifts unveils the unique political, economical and cultural history of Madagascar. Much of the attention centered around the gifts of lamba cloth are in respect to the gifts the Merina monarchy used to give to political alliances in return for their support of the Madagascar monarchy and for protection from invasions by the British and the French. However, the spiritual role that gifts of lamba cloth to what is considered to be the "ancestors" of Madagascar holds a significant role in the society.
Madagascar is an island in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Mozambique in Africa. Since 1500, the Malagasy people have lived on the island. Madagascar has 13 million people today from Africa, Arabia and India which live in eighteen different tribes ("Up Close and Personal" http://anthrotech.com/madagascar/culture ). And even though these people practice a variety of religions, certain traditions are essentially universal on the island. Lamba cloth, squares of woven and designed cloth, are made from different materials such as cotton, silk, tree bark and palm tree leaves (raffia) as it has for hundreds of years. The leaves of the palm trees are woven into squares. They are dyed, embroidered and appliquéd with geometric designs. Each small square is then sewn together to make a larger piece of cloth. More on traditional cloth in Africa can be found at "Clothing in Africa" from Africana.com at http://www.africana.com/Utilities/Conten... . These traditional cloths have been given as gifts among the Malagasy people for all aspects of their lives.
Lamba, as a gift, symbolizes friendship. And it's traditionally thought that even though the cloth is old and fades, the gesture of giving lamba will last forever. When a person dies among the Malagasy, it is not seen as an end, but an honorable state of being which is closer to God. The dead are referred to as ancestors or "razana" and are highly regarded and thought to be involved in the everyday lives of the "living." It is in this context that the razana are given elaborate and expensive tombs and the burial grounds of each family are considered the "tanindrazana", or the spiritual center of the family. Lamba cloths are given to the razana thanking them for their contributions. Tsara.com
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