PUTA DINO KAYANGAN, Traditional Woven Fabric of Tidore. For around 100 years, the woven cloth and weaving culture of Tidore seemed to have vanished, until several 16 to 27-year-old Tidorans embarked on a quest to find and recreate them from scratch based on the photos and stories they heard from an elderly 80-year-old.
The revitalization program was enacted to maintain and preserve a culture that had once been lost and to open new employment opportunities. The program engages high school students and inmates at the Tidore Detention Center.
The motifs were selected based on old photos that spoke of bygone tales and high philosophies.
We also produce derivative products from woven fabrics and scraps (leftover cloths and yarns) using manual loom, natural dyes, and product remnants.
The Jodati motif carries the meaning of sincerity in the Tidore language. As illustrated by the still dot within a square that exhorts the notion of keeping our good deeds to ourselves because sincerity will ultimately bear sweet rewards.
The scorpion motif woven into the fabric tells the story of an animal that may be small in stature but is known for its might and deadly power. Still but always vigilant. The scorpion holds a special meaning for the Tidore Sultanate. The royal buildings as well as their flags and banners are shaped in the form of a scorpion.
Barakati means to be blessed, as illustrated by the 2 up-facing and down-facing crowns as well as the four cardinal directions. The motif depicts a leader that protects all of his subjects, both the upper and lower classes, and his entire kingdom. A leader who is also the provider of fortune (raindrops).
The handstitched bag combines vegetable-tanned leather with woven patchwork
Remnants of woven fabrics are modified into a quilt-like design and combined with natural cowhide in a hand-sewn fashion
