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Piña ( ) is a traditional
Philippine The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
fiber made from the leaves of the
pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...
plant. Pineapples are indigenous to South America but have been widely cultivated in the Philippines since the 17th century, and used for weaving lustrous lace-like luxury textiles known as '' nipis'' fabric. The name is derived from Spanish ''piña'', meaning "pineapple".


History

Pineapples were introduced by the Spanish to the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. The
cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture, ...
now known as began to be cultivated for the textile industry as early as the 17th century. The extraction and weaving techniques were direct adaptations of the native weaving traditions using abacá fiber, which has a similar texture. Piña were woven into lustrous lace-like '' nipis'' fabrics usually decorated with intricate floral embroidery known as ''calado'' and ''sombrado''. Piña fabric was a luxury export from the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period and gained favor among European aristocracy in the 18th and 19th centuries. ''Nipis'' fabrics were esteemed as exotic and sumptuous. Notable uses by royalty include the
baptismal gown Baptismal clothing is apparel worn by Christian proselytes (and in some cases, by clergy members also) during the ceremony of baptism. White clothes are generally worn because the person being baptized is "fresh like the driven manna". In certain C ...
of
King Alfonso XIII Alfonso XIII (17 May 1886 – 28 February 1941), also known as El Africano or the African, was King of Spain from 17 May 1886 to 14 April 1931, when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed. He was a monarch from birth as his father, Alf ...
presented as a gift by
Pope Pius X Pope Pius X ( it, Pio X; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing modernist interpretations of C ...
(now in the
Museo del Traje The Museum of Garment - Ethnologic Heritage Research Center (Spanish: ''Museo del Traje - Centro de Investigación del Patrimonio Etnológico'') is a museum located in Madrid, Spain, with collections devoted to fashion and costumes. The museum ha ...
); a piña handkerchief given as a wedding gift to Princess Alexandra of Denmark on her marriage to
King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria a ...
; as well as a petticoat and
undergarment Undergarments, underclothing, or underwear are items of clothing worn beneath outer clothes, usually in direct contact with the skin, although they may comprise more than a single layer. They serve to keep outer garments from being soiled o ...
for
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
. An unfinished
Maria Clara gown The María Clara gown, historically known as the ''traje de mestiza'' during the Spanish colonial era, is a type of traditional dress worn by women in the Philippines. It is an aristocratic version of the '' baro't saya''. It takes its name ...
was also commissioned by the Marquis of Yriarte (then Governor of
Laguna Laguna (Italian and Spanish for lagoon) may refer to: People * Abe Laguna (born 1992), American DJ known as Ookay * Andrés Laguna (1499–1559), Spanish physician, pharmacologist, and botanist * Ana Laguna (born 1955), Spanish-Swedish ballet d ...
) intended for Queen Isabella II, who
abdicated Abdication is the act of formally relinquishing monarchical authority. Abdications have played various roles in the succession procedures of monarchies. While some cultures have viewed abdication as an extreme abandonment of duty, in other societ ...
in 1870. Numerous examples of 19th century embroidered piña textiles are in the collections of various museums around the world, although their history remains understudied in academic literature. Domestically, they were used to make the traditional '' barong tagalog'', '' baro't saya'', and '' traje de mestiza'' clothing of the Filipino upper class, as well as women's '' pañuelos''. They were favored for their light and breezy quality, which was ideal in the hot tropical climate of the islands. The industry was destroyed in the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and is only starting to be revived. Numerous pineapple-based dishes were also developed in the Philippines as a result of the pineapple textile industry. These include traditional ingredients and dishes like
pineapple vinegar The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...
, ''
hamonado ''Hamonado'' (Spanish: ''jamonado''), or ''hamonada'', is a Filipino dish consisting of meat marinated and cooked in a sweet pineapple sauce. It is a popular dish during Christmas in Philippine regions where pineapples are commonly grown. ''H ...
'', '' afritada'', and ''
pininyahang manok ''Pininyahang manok'', commonly anglicized as pineapple chicken, is a Philippine dish consisting of chicken braised in a milk or coconut milk-based sauce with pineapples, carrots, potatoes, and bell peppers. Some variants of the dish use a ch ...
''. Another notable by-product is a traditional jelly-like dessert called ''
nata de piña ''Nata de piña'' ("cream of pineapple" in Philippine Spanish, Spanish), also marketed as pineapple gel or pineapple gelatin, is a chewy, translucent, Fruit preserves, jelly-like food produced by the fermentation (food), fermentation of pineapple j ...
'', which has been produced in the Philippines since the 18th century.


Production methods

Since piña is from a leaf, the leaf has to be cut first from the plant. Then the fiber is pulled or split away from the leaf. Most leaf fibers are long and somewhat stiff. Each strand of the piña fiber is hand scraped and is knotted one by one to form a continuous filament to be handwoven and then made into a piña cloth. File:Pineapple-fiber-extraction.jpg, Scraping a pineapple leaf to reveal the fibers. File:Piña-Seda- Pineapple and Silk Cloths from the Philippines 10.jpg, Preparing fibres for weaving File:Piña-Seda- Pineapple and Silk Cloths from the Philippines 13.jpg, Traditional pina weaving File:Piña-Seda- Pineapple and Silk Cloths from the Philippines 12.jpg, Traditional pina weaving


Producers

Kalibo, Aklan, is the main and the oldest manufacturer/weaver of piña cloth in the Philippines which are being exported to various parts of the world most particularly North America and Europe. Piña weaving is an age-old tradition which was recently revived in the past 20 years. Pineapple silk was considered the queen of Philippine fabrics and is considered the fabric of choice of the Philippine elite. During the 1996
APEC The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC ) is an inter-governmental forum for 21 member economies in the Pacific Rim that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
summit held in the Philippines, world leaders donned '' barong tagalog'' made of piña sourced from Kalibo during the group photo. Producers include La Herminia Piña Weaving Industry, Malabon Pina Producers and Weavers Association, Reycon's Piña Cloth and Industry, and Rurungan sa Tubod Foundation.


Uses

Piña fabric is characterized by being lightweight but stiff, with a sheer appearance and a smooth silk-like texture. In modern times, it is predominantly used in the making of '' barong tagalog'', '' baro't saya'', and other traditional formal wear in the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
. It is also used for table linens, bags, mats and other clothing items.


UNESCO Recognition

Piña handloom weaving was nominated to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2023. The decision was made at the 18th Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage meeting held in Kasane, Botswana on 5–8 December 2023.


External links


Piña handloom weaving
UNESCO


Gallery

File:Kerchief (Pañuelo) MET 115249a.jpg, Early 19th century '' pañuelo'' in the
Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
made from piña and
linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...
File:Textile (Philippines), 19th century (CH 18348723).jpg, 19th century cotton and piña textile in the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum File:Handkerchief (Philippines), 19th century (CH 18386747).jpg, 19th century handkerchief made from piña with cotton embroidery File:Man's Shirt (Philippines), 1890–1900 (CH 18571417).jpg, 19th century '' barong tagalog'' made from piña and cotton File:Shirt MET 83.50.1 CP4.jpg, Early 19th century striped '' barong tagalog'' made from piña File:Blouse MET 37.109.1.jpg, Early 19th century ''camisa'' (women's blouse) made from piña and cotton File:Panel (Philippines), early 19th century (CH 18386599).jpg, 19th century ''pañuelo'' with silk and
silver thread Goldwork is the art of embroidery using metal threads. It is particularly prized for the way light plays on it. The term "goldwork" is used even when the threads are imitation gold, silver, or copper. The metal wires used to make the threads hav ...
embroidery


See also

* Abacá * Batik * Inabel * Malong *
Nata de piña ''Nata de piña'' ("cream of pineapple" in Philippine Spanish, Spanish), also marketed as pineapple gel or pineapple gelatin, is a chewy, translucent, Fruit preserves, jelly-like food produced by the fermentation (food), fermentation of pineapple j ...
*
Piñatex Piñatex () is a non-biodegradable leather alternative made from cellulose fibres extracted from pineapple leaves, PLA (polylactic acid), and petroleum-based resin. Piñatex was developed by Dr Carmen Hijosa and first presented at the PhD grad ...
* Tapis *
T'nalak ''T'nalak'' (also spelled ''tinalak''), is a weaving tradition of the T'boli people of South Cotabato, Philippines. T'nalak cloth is woven exclusively by women who have received the designs for the weave in their dreams, which they believe are a ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pina Woven fabrics Fiber plants Tropical agriculture Pineapples History of Asian clothing Philippine handicrafts