Bast Fiber Blanket
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Annotation: MPMC editors and Yukiko and Tetsu Ito April 2025)
Blanket woven from handspun bast fiber derived from the Hua plant. Bast fiber textiles are created by extracting fibers from the stems or trunks of young trees (or certain grasses), spinning them into yarn, and weaving them in a plain weave. This process differs from barkcloth production, which involves beating and softening tree bark into a non-woven fabric. As of 2025, Cambulo in Banaue is the only known village in the Philippines where the tradition of weaving bast fiber textiles continues. Notably, this material was identified in the original catalog card, suggesting that the practice was recognized and documented at the time of acquisition.
Transcribed and translated from original German text ( card catalog)
Philippines, Luzon, Banaue Province, Cambulo
Made from Hú-a and Alalahi (?) cotton. Warp stripe colors: brown, reddish-brown, and black Weft in the middle section: dark brown. At both ends: striped pattern in yellow and red-brown. In the middle part: rep weave. At the ends: twill weave for the weft.
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The Langewis brothers were to collectors from the Netherlands.
They travelled through various countries, collectiong textiles for museums in Europe.
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