×

Symmetry in patterns on Swazi grass mats. (English) Zbl 1202.01014

Summary: This paper will explore the presence of symmetry in patterns on Swazi grass mats made by women in Swaziland. The fundamental aim is to elucidate and present basic explanations of the presence of symmetry in the patterns on the Swazi grass mats; by doing this, an acknowledgment and enrichment of this aspect of Swazi Material Culture will be realised. Symmetry in patterns on other parallel Swazi Material Culture that admits patterning is clay beer pots, beaded necklaces, grinding mats and more recently baskets made from Lutindzi, (a mountain grass.) will also be illustrated. The theories of Professor Paulus Gerdes of the Ethnomathematics Research Project based at Mozambiques’s Universidade Pedagogica will be used.

MSC:

01A07 Ethnomathematics (general)
00A66 Mathematics and visual arts
PDFBibTeX XMLCite