MAT WEAVING

Originally written by Alice G. Guillermo

Updated by Alden Q. Lauzon (1991)
Published 2017 in the 2nd edition of the CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art
(Volume 5 on Visual Arts), 204-206

Report notes prepared by Alexandra Jamison, ADT12-2

1Sem 2019-2020, PUP Sta. Mesa
•Definition: Mat weaving (204)

• All regions have tradition of mat weaving

• Used as bedding material
• Cool and suitable for hot climate
• Ecologically healthy, light and portable sleeping
surface
• Mats are space saver
• Most are made of the leaves of pandan or buri
palm (linear patterns)
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Pandan leaves Buri palm

Mat Weaving (204)
• Capiz and Aklan- simple and delicate, geometric
designs on boarders
• Laguna- plain and simple brown
• Woman’s work
• Stripped, boiled, dyed and woven
• Quality judged from it’s softness, fineness and design
patterns
• Mats used as of exchange in barter
• Wedding rituals and festive occassions
• Southern weavers- smaller, prayer mats or household
decorations
Mat Weaving (204-205)
19th century and in early decades of 20th
century
• “Recuerdo,” “Souvenir,” “Alaala” (remembrance) and
“Mr and Mrs”
• Bordered with floral or geometric designs
• Double mats
Mat weaving (205)
Island of Laminusa off the coast of Siasi
Sulu
• Women of Samal group
(utmost skill and artistry)
• Laminusa mats – pandanus
fibers , soft and pliable,
crumple without creasing,
often mistaken as woven
cloth
• Tapestries used as wall
decors
https://media.karousell.com/media/photos/products
• Maluy Lasa Sambolani - /2017/10/21/laminusa_mat_baby_size_1508592463
_db8ec770.jpg
1990 Manlilikha ng Bayan
awardee Laminusa mat
Mat weaving (205-206)
Basey,Samar
• Basey mat- tikog and buri
• Embroidery
• Green, red, yellow, various shades of pink, and yellow green
• Embroiderer – usually a women
• In the late 1970s – waling-waling flower, maps of the Philippines,
maps of Leyte and Samar, and birds such as peacocks
• 1990s – images of the Santo Niño, San Juanico Bridge and flowers
• Balyuan Festival
• Floral design
• Combination of traditional weaving with changing popular notifs
• 1993 – Benigno Aquino Jr’s portrait
• Portrait or newlyweds
• Basey mats have assumed the function of paintings
Mat weaving (206)

• Sizes of mats have become

more varied
• Smaller mats –portraits and
decorative designs, flowers
• Mats are framed with bamboo
and hung like paintings
• Mat weavers and
embroiderers –mutually
independent
• Decorative mats –broadened
(bags and pillow covers) https://www.sunstar.com.ph/uploads/im
ages/2018/10/02/91839.jpg
• Sets mark on interior design -
limited scale Basey mat
Source:
Lauzon, Alden Q. et al. “Mat weaving.” In N.
Guillermo (ed.), CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art Volume 5 on Visual Arts, 2nd ed.
Pasay City: Cultural Center of the Philippines, 2017. 204-206. Print.