Portugal · Wool weaving; Textile arts; Portuguese heritage
Manta Alentejana
The hand-weaving of striped wool blankets (mantas) in the Alentejo, traditionally produced for shepherds and agricultural workers and now recognized as a distinctive Portuguese design object, particularly through the contemporary revival associated with the town of Reguengos de Monsaraz. The manta alentejana is woven on a hand loom in a distinctive multi-colored stripe pattern from regional wool, requiring the tecedeira to maintain consistent weft-beat density across very long warp lengths to achieve the blanket's characteristic dense, weatherproof structure suited to its original function as outdoor working cover.
Risk level: Vulnerable · Not listed
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