Cleveland Museum of Art

Abacá lace sampler

Date

c. 1910–23

Medium

abaca fiber(?): knitting

Culture

Philippines

Department

Textiles

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This strip of lace is unusual for being worked entirely in abacá fiber, a material more commonly associated with cordage, woven textiles, and ceremonial cloth. Abacá’s natural stiffness and high tensile strength make it a challenging medium for techniques that require tight looping or knotting, such as lace making. This object reflects a hybrid craft tradition in which imported techniques were executed using local fibers. This object was likely produced where abacá was abundant and lace making was introduced through convents or mission schools—perhaps the Eastern Visayas or Bicol regions of the Philippines.

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