Unknown Maker, Philippine

This long piña scarf testifies to the skill and endurance of weavers and embroiderers who made it. Nearly eight feet long, it features intricate calado, a drawn-work technique in which threads are removed and twisted together to create a lace-like effect. Piña textiles of this length are rare; this example’s unusual embroidery designs may reflect Chinese and Indian influences rather than imported European forms. 

Fine fibers culled from the leaves of the pineapple plant give this scarf length its gossamer appearance. Some believe the pineapple was introduced to the Philippines from the Americas in the 1500s by Spanish sailors working trade routes connecting Manila and Acapulco, Mexico.

Already skilled at making textiles out of abaca, or banana-leaf fiber, Filipinos created luxury piña-cloth garments and textiles for a wealthy local clientele. Piña textiles were also exported across the world, sold as an alternative to lace. By the 17th century, Chinese and Indian immigrant artisans added new embroidery techniques and design motifs, seen in the exquisitely worked traditional Indian flowering-tree motif that graces the central field.