Mantas Alentejanas: Perpetuar o Saber Fazer

A book about Mantas Alentejanas (Alentejo blankets), traditional textiles from the Southern region of Portugal, with instructions for weaving some of its traditional designs at home with descriptive instructions (in Portuguese) and charts.

There once were dozens of weavers in Alentejo whose livelihoods depended on the production of these textiles for shepherds' capes and bedcovers, alongside other agricultural work. The tradition of hand-weaving in this region goes back to the 14th century, where the structural and colorwork patterns of Alentejo blankets originated.

This know-how was passed on from one generation to the next over centuries, but in the last 50 years demographic changes in rural regions have threatened the continuation of this activity. However there are some who still appreciate this know-how, and work to keep it alive by preserving traditional designs and recreating them for use in the contemporary world.

This book is an instruction manual on how to recreate these heritage blankets at home in a small loom.

Mantas Alentejanas: Perpetuar o Saber Fazer. Alexandra Marques, Mizette Nielsen, Guida Fonseca.
Published in 2023. 144pp. In Portuguese.