A friend of the TRC Leiden, Ann Cable, came to the Hogewoerd a few days ago with some donations for the TRC Collection, including African textiles and garments that belonged to her parents – her father was a senior British diplomat who served in different countries.
A mokorotio straw hat (1970s, Lesotho (TRC 2021.2623).
Among the recent ‘Cable’ donation is a straw hat that has opened up a new line of enquiry for me! Namely what lies behind the central symbol on the Lesotho flag! The flag consists of three horizontal stripes in blue, white and green, with a central ornate, conical motif in black that is based on a mokorotlo or chief’s straw hat. It is this type of hat that has been donated to the TRC.
The flag was adopted in 2006 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Lesotho’s independence. The previous flag included a shield, spear and knobkerrie (a form of club) and was regarded as too martial. The term mokorotlo can also be used to symbolise anything traditional, as well as referring to certain forms of poetry and songs. As a hat, the mokorotlo is now regarded as symbolising tradition, pride and national identity.
Apparently there is no evidence for the wearing of the mokorotlo before the mid-19th century, but by the early 20h century it had become the headwear of choice of Sotho (Basotho) chiefs. It was made for men until the mid-20th century when it found a much wider market among tourists, especially from South Africa. By the end of the 20th century it was widely used by rural, Lesotho men when attending formal occasions.
National flag of Lesotho, from 2006.
A mokototlo is made from a local grass called mosea or leholi that grows in the highlands of Lesotho and is brought to the hat weaving workshops. The hats are made by professional straw weavers who have followed an apprenticeship system. Most weavers are men and the majority apparently live in the Botha-Bothe district, in northern Losotho.
There are different forms of the mokorotla, depending on the type of straw used, the complexity of the weave and its end appearance. The main form is for chiefs, while another type is regarded as suitable for the genral population and, nowadays, also for women. The example given by Ann would appear to be of the latter category.
In addition to donating the hat to the TRC, Ann has written a short account of the moment she received the hat herself: "This hat is a mokorotlo from Lesotho and a black one can now be seen on the flag of Lesotho. The hat was given to me by the Lesotho delegation to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in 1977. This was held in London to coincide with celebrations for the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth. As a very young British diplomat, I had been appointed as their Liaison Officer for the event and when they left they had gifts for the team who had been involved with them. However, they admitted that they hadn’t expected having a woman as their Liaison officer and had only brought gifts for men! Thus I became the proud possessor of this mokorotlo, beautifully made with the indigenous mosea grass. They did later send me a wonderfully soft woollen shawl, but I have always loved this hat, its symbolism and the way it is constructed."
Flag of Kenya, with shield and two spears. As a result of this donation I have been looking for other examples of textiles and/or clothing depicted on national flags. There are remarkably few and most consist of weapons of some kind, such as the Kenyan flag with shield and two spears.
Booklet issued by followers of Gandhi depicting the Indian flag with spindle wheel (India, late 1940s, TRC 2021.2620).
It is also worth noting that a few years ago (2011), the TRC mounted an exhibition about hand spinning called ‘The Spinning World’. One of the items on display was the Indian charkha or cotton spindle wheel. Following Indian independence from Britain in 1948 it would appear that the famous lawyer, philosopher and politician, Mahatma Gandhi, suggested that the new Indian flag should bear the charkha, but the newly formed Indian government chose instead for the Ashoka Chakra ('wheel'), representing the 24 spokes of Buddhism. The two words are of course related, but the main point is that the spindle wheel almost made it onto the Indian flag!
Gillian Vogelsang, 9 September 2021
