Indigenous plaited patterns on Ugandan mats

This paper presents findings about the rich, colourful, mathematical patterns on the indigenous plaited mats produced by skilled artisans in Uganda. There is a need to research and make use of these designs so that they can find new audiences, inspire African product design and be exploited commercially within Africa and beyond. To support this argument, examples of patterns are presented in this paper. They provide evidence of the craft tradition and its allied knowledge and skills and demonstrate its pedagogic and aesthetic value. The paper concludes with a step-by-step, do-it-yourself guide to pattern making.