From the pineapple plant, first brought to the Philippines through the Spanish conquest in the 1500s, came the discovery of the inherent value of this plant in its ability to transform itself into the “fabric of dreams,” and become synonymous with the finest treasure of the Philippines. Piña, the amazing fiber extracted from the leaf of this plant, could create a fabric so fine and sheer, that it garnered the attention of the highest levels of society. Unlike the finely spun

THP brings to the American and international public fine examples of Mindanao textile design with examples from traditional to more contemporary periods. Traditional weaving was circumscribed by much ritual and ceremonies of the life cycle — birth, marriage and death and the fabrics produced were meant to address these ceremonial needs. Contemporary weavers now struggle with traditional concepts and the demands of the local and tourist market. With this transformation the con