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Monday,
August 26, 2002
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Monday,
August 26, 2002
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Weavers
of Banton |
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The oldest preserved cloth in the Philippines is the Banton ikat burial cloth. It was believed to be recovered in the 1930s by an archeology professor from the University of the Philippines, and acknowledged to have existed in pre-Spanish period when the natives bury their dead in caves wrapped in special woven attire and encased in wooden carved coffins. This burial cloth, along with several wooden coffins and other pieces of burial artifacts like ceramics and simple jewelry are now displayed at the National Museum in special glass cases and occupy prominent places at the exhibit on cloths and garments (3rd Floor of the paying section of the new National Museum near Luneta Park, Manila). Thus, weaving among the men and women of the island is not only encouraged for its economic value but also for its historical significance. The Raffia Weaving Center located at Libtong Elementary School in Libtong, Banton produces bags, place mats, book covers and hats, among other things. They sell their products in Manila and other countries as well. They accept made to order assignments. Contact the weavers through comments@sanrokan.com for further information. |
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| Step one s gathering fresh buri leaves. Notice the tip of the buri blossoms - where the initial separation of fiber is prepared. (This photo by Dely Ferrera) | Next step is rait or extraction of fibers from the plant leaves. (This photo by Dely Ferrera) | |
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| Fibers are bleached white and allowed to dry under the sun. The lady above is stringing them together in a process called sug-ot. | Preparing
the raffia fiber for the warping. |
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| Han-ay is warping stage. | Transfer to loom and weaving of products takes place. | |
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The
menfolk meanwhile takes on a different kind of weaving -- fish cages
made of bamboo shingles.
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| The author in Togong Beach, Banton, Romblon. Notice the big boulders of rocks? Banton which means "rock" is a volcanic island and there are rocks all over the place, inland as well. It is fascinating to imagine that these big boulders have been there since the island was "born". Surreal realization! :-) |  |
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