Richelieu Embroidery of the Highlands

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By Jordan Lamont · Last updated 7 October 2026

Say it like a local: this is broderie Richelieu — the French name for the cutwork embroidery Malagasy women have made their own.

In a brightly painted highland house, a Malagasy woman bends over a stretch of white cloth, snipping tiny windows into the fabric and binding their edges with stitches so fine they look machine-made — except no machine could do this. Madagascar’s embroiderers are among the finest in the world, and their signature craft, Richelieu cutwork, turns a plain tablecloth into something close to lace. It is one of the island’s most underrated art forms.

Lace made with scissors and thread

Richelieu embroidery is a cutwork technique: the embroiderer works a design onto fabric, then cuts away the cloth within parts of the pattern and binds the remaining threads and edges into delicate, geometric openwork. The result is airy and lace-like, all the more striking because it is built, stitch by stitch, out of destruction as much as decoration. Done well, it is breathtakingly precise — and Malagasy embroiderers are renowned precisely for that meticulousness and dexterity.

A highland women’s tradition

The craft has deep roots among the women of the southern and central highlands, where girls learn needlework young and the best spend years mastering Richelieu. It is applied above all to table linen — tablecloths, runners, napkins — and to clothing. Crucially, it is sustained not by industry but by individual commitment, the skill passed from one pair of hands to the next. Each piece represents patient hours that no factory could replicate or afford.

Where the finest work lives

Antananarivo is the place to find it. The craft markets of Andravohangy and COUM offer the island’s widest selection, and women’s workshops — such as the long-running Centre Fihavanana, run by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in the capital since 1985 — produce fine embroidered linen while giving women a livelihood. Buying there supports the embroiderers directly, which matters for a craft kept alive by hand.

Why it matters today

Richelieu embroidery is Malagasy patience and artistry in portable form — a tablecloth that is really hundreds of hours of skill. It makes one of the most meaningful souvenirs you can carry home. Find it through our guide to authentic Malagasy crafts, explore Antananarivo where the best is sold, and plan with our Madagascar travel guide.

FAQ

What is Richelieu embroidery?

A cutwork technique: small areas of fabric are cut away and the remaining threads worked into delicate openwork patterns, leaving a lace-like design.

Why is it associated with Madagascar?

Malagasy women, especially in the highlands, are renowned for exceptionally fine, patient Richelieu embroidery on tablecloths, runners and napkins.

How long does it take to learn?

Years. The skill is built slowly by hand and passed between individuals, not mass-produced in factories.

Where can you buy it?

In Antananarivo’s craft markets and from workshops such as long-running women’s cooperatives — a meaningful, portable souvenir.