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T'nalak

Various types of tnalak cloth

Tnalak (also spelled tenalak), is a weaving tradition of the Tboli people of South Cotabato, Philippines.[1] T'nalak cloth is woven exclusively by women who have received the designs for the weave in their dreams, which they believe are a gift from Fu Dalu, the T'boli Goddess of abacá.[1]

The rest of the community, including the men, are able to participate in the production of T'nalak by carefully selecting, stripping, and sun-drying the abacá fibers to be used.[1][2] Once the fibers have been prepared, they are dyed using the dye-resist technique called "ikat", based on the pattern dreamt by the weaver; the woman gifted by Fu Dalu with the design then weaves the cloth using a backstrap loom.[1][2]

The fact that the designs are derived from the dreams of the weavers means that traditional t'nalak patterns cannot be mass-produced.[3] Because the patterns are based on dreams, the weavers of t'nalak are popularly referred to as dreamweavers.[4]

  1. ^ a b c d Fabella, Mara (June 1, 2020). "The T'nalak of the Tboli". Narra Studio. Archived from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  2. ^ a b del Mundo, Ida Anita. "How the T'boli Women Weave their Dreams". FAME+. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  3. ^ Oliveros, Daphne (February 11, 2012). "Dreamweavers". RAPPLER. Archived from the original on February 17, 2012. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  4. ^ "The dreamweaver of Lake Sebu". International Labour Organization Website. December 2, 2011. Archived from the original on June 5, 2013. Retrieved February 16, 2022.

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