exhibits certain general features, namely the ikat technique (mostly warp ikat), and what we would call tie-dye, both knotted and stitched. In addition, there is the wide use of embroidery, appliqué and bead-work on the upper-body garments worn by both men and women. Those areas that have had ready access to foreign trade have made much use of both cotton and silk thread, but many of the most interesting pieces are made from the local abaca fibre, obtained from a close relative of the banana. Weaving is done on very simple floor looms or body-tension looms, and there are many examples of plaids, as well as fabrics with warp floats or supplementary weft decorations. This region also makes use of tapestry weaving, which is not commonly found in this part of the world.

The glory of this book is the photography. Collection and study of textiles on Mindanao did not start until the early years of the twentieth century, and there are some photographs from this time, as well as more recent ones. Readers will simply stop and gaze at the wonderful illustrations. Design and technique come together in an explosion of color. I can’t see many westerners actually wanting to wear these pieces, but this is not the point. Here we have a display of cultural sophistication and human ingenuity at its best. Everyone who loves textiles will love this book.

I look forward to seeing some other works in the same series, some of which include studies on