Provenance: Don Pedro Alejandro Paterno (1857– 1911) and Doña Luisa Piñeyro de Lugo y Merino (Sra. de Paterno, d. 1897)

Exhibited: Exposicion General de Las Islas Filipinas, 1887, Palacio de Cristal, Parque de Retiro, Madrid; Exposicion Historico-Americana, 1892 alongside the Exposicion Historico-Europe, Palacio de Biblioteca y Museos Nacionales (National Library and Museums) 1892, Parque de Madrid (formerly Parque de Retiro), Madrid Exposicion Historico -Natural y Etnográfica, Madrid, 1893 Exposición Regional Filipina, Manila, 1895

Literature: Catalogo de la Exposición General de las Islas Filipinas, 1887 which acknowledged Don Pedro Paterno of Madrid as the owner of a pañuelo de piña bordado (an embroidered piña panuelo

ABOUT THE WORK

WOVEN DREAMS: A Rare & Unusual Panuelo by AUGUSTO MARCELINO REYES GONZALEZ III In the Philippines, the possession of embroidered “piña,” the better if antique and inherited, is one of the secret visual languages in which the long–affluent speak. Piña is the sole preserve of highest society, doubtless due to its great price. The possession and connoisseurship of antique piña is truly exclusive and snobbish as there are so few collectors and collections left. In what was a climactic act of social benediction, Lourdes Mendoza Reyes–Montinola --- a supremely elegant doyenne of Manila high society --- thoroughly researched, wrote, and published the landmark book “Piña” in 1991. It is an ode to a wondrous gossamer fabric, an elegy to the aristocratic life that created it, and a master plan for its survival into the future. The pineapple plant variety “Ananas lucidus” or the red pineapple was first brought to Las Islas Filipinas by the Spanish from their South American colonies during the early years of conquest in the 1570s; “Ananas lucidus” (or “Red Spanish”) was the variety that traveled best; The pineapple plant originated in the border of Brazil and Paraguay. The Spanish first landed in Cebu but soon transferred their base to the adjacent island of Panay, to Iloilo, where it was peaceful, the land fertile, and rice and produce abundant. Interestingly, the crowns of the pineapples carried on board the ships for food flourished. Soon afterwards, the Ilonggo natives who were expert weavers of cloth from abaca, bananas, kapok (cotton), and various palms experimented with the red pineapple fibers and piña was born. This unusual “panuelo” in the shape of a quarter moon deviates from the standard triangular or square (folded diagonally into two) panuelo of the traditional “traje de mestiza.” Other variant features are the large Tobacco Leaf–inspired floral embroideries, likely derived from the Indian chintzes and English Manchester fabrics being traded by the British companies in Manila. Adding great albeit understated luxury is the extensive use of tedious “calado” (openwork) all over --- in the flowers, leaves, and the thick border. A lot of time, effort, and headaches were involved in producing this piece. This piece was shown to Ms Sandra Castro, the foremost researcher and scholar on Filipino “Nipis” textiles (having researched on them for 43 years and counting), and she comments: “The crescent-shaped collar is probably mid–19th century because of the large floral patterns, inspired by 18th century European collars in whitework embroidery. Very unusual series of openwork patterns on the border and use of applique for stems.” “These were Chinese mestiza accessories.” Ms. Castro thinks that because of its highly unusual crescent shape, it could have been a personal sewing project and that in style, motifs, and workmanship it likely dates from the 1850s. Although it could have belonged for a time to one of them, it is too old to have been crafted by Pedro’s talented sisters, as it is as old or older than they: Agueda (o 1853 – + 1915), Dolores (o 1854 – + 1881), Jacoba (o 1858 – + 1918), Paz (o 1867 – + 1914), Trinidad (o 1868 – + 1932). It could have been made by either of Capitan Maximino’s three successive wives Valeria Pineda (+ before 1853), Carmen Devera Ygnacio (+ 1868), or Teodora Devera Ygnacio (+ 1895); or even by Capitan Memo’s “sinamayera” sisters Matea (o 1817 – + 1874), Maria Paz (o 1818 – + 1859), Juana (o 1820 – + 1880s), or Martina Molo Agustin Paterno y Yamson (o 1834 – + 1899). It is a very old surviving specimen of beautiful piña work.