Litema

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Traditional Tema pattern with inversion and rotation of the basic pattern

As litema (pronounced ditemɑ , singular Tema , Sesotho for field ') is a form of mural the Sotho referred to in Lesotho and neighboring areas in South Africa is in use. The women of the Sotho create litema by freshly plastering the walls of their houses with a mixture of clay plaster and dung . In the top layer of plaster, which is still wet, scratch a geometric pattern with your index finger, which can then be colored with natural dyes. Litema are not a permanent facade design, but jump in the sun or are washed away by a heavy rain. It is common for women to redesign an entire village using litema for ceremonial occasions such as a wedding or religious ceremony.

The litema patterns are characterized by a multi-level symmetry . The pattern is usually based on square cells. A wall to be designed is divided into cells by a grid. Each cell is designed with the same basic pattern, which is at most rotated or mirrored from cell to cell. The symmetry of the entire pattern thus depends on the symmetries present in the basic pattern. There are designs with only one mirror axis in the basic pattern, which give a more unidirectional impression of the overall pattern. Other basic patterns have several axes of symmetry or are rotationally symmetrical, and result in a rather two-dimensional, ornamental impression in the overall pattern. The color scheme is reserved, mostly only two colors are used.

literature

  • Paul Changuion: The African mural . New Holland Publishers, London 1989, ISBN 1-85368-062-1 .
  • Paulus Gerdes: On Mathematical Ideas in Cultural Traditions of Central and Southern Africa . In: Helaine Selin (Ed.): Mathematics across cultures: the history of non-western mathematics . Springer, New York 2001, ISBN 1402002602 , pp. 313-344.
  • Paulus Gerdes: Women, Art And Geometry In Southern Africa . Africa World Press, Trenton (NJ) 1998, ISBN 0-86543-601-0 .
  • Gary van Wyk: African painted houses: Basotho dwellings of Southern Africa . Abrams, New York 1998, ISBN 0-8109-1990-7 .

Web links

Commons : Litema  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Paulus Gerdes: On Mathematical Ideas in Cultural Traditions of Central and Southern Africa . In: Helaine Selin (Ed.): Mathematics across cultures . New York 2001, pp. 329-332.