Banig “Red Lotus” place mat, Philippines

Tikog gras, hand dyed and handwoven from Philippines

30 x 45 cm

The process of making embroidered Banig Placemats is very time consuming. The handwoven mats made from dried seagrass leaves and used primarily as sleeping or floor mats. After harvesting the Tikog Grass, the leaves are dried for a couple of days, then they get dyed and cut into strips. The mats are woven by hand and the patterns are embroidered, even by hand, on the finished woven mat. 
This craft is coming from Basey, since 2020 the city is considered as the capital of Banig. Banig is primarily produced by women who have mostly learned this art in their childhood. The town’s mat weaver, called Paraglara, are famous for producing high quality, colorful and intricately designed tikog mats. Most of the weavers working in cooperatives founded in the little town of Basey. After the devastation of Super Typhoon Yolanda the woman are able to support the livelihoods of her families with this work.