Unknown Maker, Philippine

Cotton embroidery edges this textile. European-style embroidery was introduced to the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period (1565–1898) by Roman Catholic nuns, who taught this skill to young girls. Embroidery continued to be part of a girl’s education during the American colonial period (1898–1946), when female American teachers provided instruction in schools. Piña cloth woven in the central Visayan islands was sent to embroiderers on the island of Luzon. The town of Lumban in Laguna is known as a center for piña embroidery.