Tnalak, Fiber Ikat

A ceremonial cloth hanging made from abaca fiber. Cloths like this were made by the tboli people who live on the island of Mindanao , southern Philippines and were especially prominent at betrothal and marriage ceremonies.They are called tnalaks and within the narrow range of the material, colors and designs there is an amazing variety. The design supposedly comes to the weavers in their dreams and that is why they are called dream weavers. The colors are derived from elements in nature and limited to red, black and brown. The material used is fiber of abaca, or banana tree bark. The ikat method is a way to dye the threads by tie dyeing them before they get woven.