M.2022.249.8
Textile Length
Southern Philippines, Mindanao, Blaan, early 20th century
Abacá warp-faced plain weave with tie-resist-dyed warp (ikat)
28 × 62 in. (71.12 × 157.48 cm)
Gift of Don R. Bierlich
The communities of Mindanao, the southernmost island of the Philippine Archipelago, are numerous and diverse, but they share a common style of regional textile, generally referred to as bë-bëd, where dynamic patterns are achieved through a variety of resist-dyeing techniques. These prized, labor-intensive textiles were used for display, dress, and ceremony; traded for other luxury items; or given as honorific gifts. The design of this bë-bëd cloth, made from the locally abundant abacá (banana plant), was created through the ikat technique, where warp threads are tie-resist-dyed with a pattern before the textile is woven. Here, the dense pattern is structured by a diamond motif, understood by local groups as a crocodile, which plays an important role in Philippine and Southeast Asian mythology. Like other amphibious creatures such as the snake, frog, and turtle, it is seen as a spirit animal with the ability to traverse land, mountains, rivers, seas, and beyond. The geometric hooked shapes are collectively referred to as kumang; in combination with the crocodile motif, the resulting pattern mimics the amphibian’s movement as well as its scaly skin. Such a complex ikat design, with repeating and interlocking geometric and interstitial patterns that produce an almost hypnotic effect, is a testament to the skill of the Blaan or Bagobo woman who wove it.
To create a textile length such as this one, abacá fibers are harvested from the outer layers of the banana plant stalk and knotted end-to-end to make the long yarns. The warp threads are set up on a frame, and small bundles are tightly bound following the weaver’s design. The bundles are removed from the loom and dyed, with each tied section resisting a dye bath. Here, the black or dark brown dyestuff, made from the roots of the loko tree, was resisted from off-white sections (the abacá fiber’s natural color) to create the motif. Once dyeing is complete, the warps are returned to the backstrap loom, the tied sections are released, and the textile is woven with interlacing weft threads.
Clarissa M. Esguerra
2024