Abacá lace sampler

This strip of lace is unusual for being worked entirely in abacá fiber, a material more commonly associated with cordage, woven textiles, and ceremonial cloth. Abacá’s natural stiffness and high tensile strength make it a challenging medium for techniques that require tight looping or knotting, such as lace making. This object reflects a hybrid craft tradition in which imported techniques were executed using local fibers.