T'nalak cloth fragment

Label TextThe tricolor design of white and red patterns against a black or deep brown background is distinctive to T’nalak fabric. The fibers of T’nalak are harvested from stalks of abaca, a relative of the banana plant, which has water-resistant properties. The weavers of the T’nalak cloth are the T'boli community, which resides in the region of Lake Sebu on the island of Mindanao. They believe that the cloth permeates sacrality—the spiritual guardian of Fu Dalu guides the fabrication process. Because it is a fragment, the object’s original purpose or usage is unclear. As value-laden objects with both spiritual and commercial importance, many T’nalak pieces were offered to spirits during ritual celebrations and could be bartered for livestock in exchanges with neighboring communities. Though the uses of T’nalak cloth varied, it was taboo to lay this fabric on the floor.

Object numberSC83.9

Exhibition HistoryNew York, New York, The Asia Society, Sheer Realities: Clothing and Power in Nineteenth-Century Philippines, June 12, 2000 - Oct. 31, 2000. Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Boundless: Stories of Asian Art, Feb. 8, 2020 - ongoing [on view July 16 - Dec. 5, 2021].

Credit LineGift of Mrs. Barbara Kirk

Dimensions162 1/2 x 21 1/4 in. (412.75 x 53.98 cm)

MediumFiber, abaca plant