Made of Bananas

This cloth made of Abaca fiber derived from Abaca plant - a relative to edible banana plant - that is native in Sangihe Island in Sulawesi. The specific type of plant that is still relative to edible banana plant called Hote grew in abundance in the island.  

Colors used to dye the fiber is from natural dyes that comes from mangroves, great morinda and kesumba. Purplish and brownish color comes from mangroves bark. Reddish color comes from kesumba.

The cloth is traditionally woven on a wooden weaving equipment called Gedogan. The weaver would sit on the floor having the weaving loom wrapped around the waist. 

Hote is used as a wrap around fabric and for outdoor decorative ceiling. To make the finished cloth supple, the cloth would be beated with wooden mallet then polished with shell to give more sheen to the fabric.