Mohalenyane Phakela
LOCAL CRAFTERS, Maseru Tapestries say they made South African textile designer, Nkuli Mlangeni’s Sankara Rug which won the Most Beautiful Object in South Africa (MBOISA) at the Design Indaba in Cape Town, South Africa from 1 to 4 March 2017.
MBOISA is an annual competition aimed at recognising and facilitating discussions on beautiful art where 10 celebrity influencers nominate the Most Beautiful Object in South Africa before the public votes for their favourite object.
The award-winning Sankara Rug was nominated by interior designer, Bielle Bellingham who said she was drawn to the work not only for the high level of weaving but also the cultural research and historic imagery that told a story.
And according to Maseru Tapestries’ leader, Masetumo Lebitsa, the received an order early this year from Mlangeni to make the rug for her.
“We have been making products for Nkuli since May 2016 and we have been working together very well,” Lebitsa told the Weekender this week.
“Like most orders we have done before, she would send the pictures of designs and we would sew them into a final product using mohair which we spin into wool.
“We were so excited when we received the news that the rug which we made with our own hands had won such a prestigious award. We believe that other customers will get to know of the great work we do and thus, bring more business to us,” she said.
Maseru Tapestries is an organisation of four women which has been in existence from 2000. It makes products from locally produced mohair and cotton coil sourced from South Africa by Action Lesotho. It is also through Action Lesotho that they managed to get access to an international market.
Lebitsa said Action Lesotho had also helped by teaching them about costing, pricing and marketing their products.
“It is through them that we got this order which won the award and we also have another Xhosa order from South Africa which we are working on,” she said, adding, they would also exhibit at the Astana Expo 2017 in Kazakhstan from 10 June to 10 September.
Action Lesotho’s Development Representative, Pippa Kearon said, “from 2012, Maseru Tapestries is one of 15 local crafters that we have helped with production techniques as well as marketing and they have been performing well”.
“We are very excited that their product won the award and we believe they will get more business as a result,” she said.
