The nomadic pastoral peoples of the West African sahel, including the Peul and Fulani, weave blankets and furnishing textiles made of wool. The blankets serve as a barrier from the cold during winter months and protect from mosquitos as well. The thread used for the textile is made of sheep’s wool, and is handspun and dyed by women; men, however, do the weaving. Blankets such as this are also traded to other ethnic groups. The Asante people of Ghana, for example, use Fulani blankets as status symbols to cover their drums.
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