Raffia Lemurs

Madagascar is world-famous for its lemurs, primates that look something like a cat crossed with a squirrel and a dog.

These animals are unique to the island and display a range of interesting behaviors from singing like a whale (the indri) to sashaying across the sand like a ballet dancer (the sifaka).

The imagination and ingenuity of the Malagasy craftsman are also driven by the representation of the nature that surrounds him; so with the raffia, the flora and fauna of Madagascar are represented.

Amongst the animals represented, the Lemur stands out, a unique and characteristic monkey that lives in the Madagascan forests.

Each piece is a one of a kind treasure. Use to play and to decorate.

These playful lemurs are made from raffia, some in vetiver grass, by Jean-Claude, a young boy who lives in a very small faraway village from Antananarivo where I travel to meet him & his family each year.

The poverty in Madagascar is crushing and income from their craft is critical to their survival.

Handmade and so are completely unique and vary slightly different in size, weight & posture