Textile fragment (Binakol) (c. early 1900s(?)): Art, History and Details

Textile fragment (Binakol) (c. early 1900s(?)) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

This intricate, hand-woven textile was likely produced on a back-strap or upright loom. The binakol block pattern creates a strong optical effect, organized in vertical registers separated by broad, dark stripes with narrow, red accents. The central design is a variant of the whirlpool motif known as kusikos, in which alternating light and dark squares appear to spiral or recede.

Object facts

• Title: Textile fragment (Binakol)
• Date: c. early 1900s(?)
• Culture: Philippines, Ilokos, Norte Province, Luzon, 20th century(?)
• Type: Textile
• Technique: woven cotton; extended tabby weave
• Dimensions: Overall: 68.6 x 48.3 cm (27 x 19 in.)
• Collection: Textiles
• Department: Textiles
• Accession number: 1921.1596

A detail from the museum

The swirling kusikos pattern was meant to confuse evil spirits and had a protective function.

Collection credit

Gift of W. A. Price

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.