Antaimoro paper was first introduced in Madagascar by Arabs who settled on the east coast of Madagascar. According to legend they were shipwrecked along the coast, but then welcomed to settle there by the local people, the Antaimoro tribe (meaning Those on the Bank).
The new settlers discovered a wild shrub with solid fiber called Avoha which worked well for making paper that is similar to papyrus. The paper-making process was kept a secret until 1936 when a French planter, Pierre Mathieu, began collaborating with the descendants of the first Arab settlers.
The Antaimoro paper is still handmade today using the ancient methods. After the pulp is pounded with mallots by craftsmen, it is imbedded with local dried wildflowers and set in a frame in the sun to dry.