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

Exposicion Historico -Natural y Etnográfica, Madrid, 1893
Exposición Regional Filipina, Manila, 1895

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

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

by AUGUSTO MARCELINO REYES GONZALEZ III In the Philippines, one of the secret visual languages in which the long–affluent speak is the possession of embroidered “Piña,” the better if inherited and antique. Doubtless due to its great price, Piña is the sole preserve of highest society. There are so few collectors and collections left that the possession and connoisseurship of Piña has become truly exclusive and snobbish. Thirty years ago, in a climactic act of social benediction --- a supremely elegant doyenne of Manila high society --- Lourdes Mendoza Reyes–Montinola --- researched thoroughly, wrote, and published the book “Piña” in 1991, the principal tome on the matter for decades to come. In the book, Montinola establishes Piña as the height of affluent Filipino taste. It is a fitting tribute to a lovely gossamer fabric, a eulogy to the patrician life that created it, and a grand plan for its survival into the future. The Spanish conquistadores brought the “Ananas lucidus” or red pineapple variety with them from their South American colonies via Mexico when they arrived in Cebu in 1571; the variety that survived sea voyages best was “Ananas lucidus” (or “Red Spanish”); the pineapple plant was first discovered in the border of Brazil and Paraguay. The Spanish eventually left Cebu for adjacent Panay island, to Iloilo, a peaceful place where food was abundant --- rice, fish, meat, vegetables, and fruits. To their amazement, the discarded pineapple crowns from the fruits they had carried onboard grew well in the new ground. The new plant piqued the curiosity of the natives and the weavers producing cloth from abaca, plantains, kapok (cotton), and different palms painstakingly drew fibers from the strange prickly plant and they invented the exquisite Piña textile. This magnificently–embroidered panuelo of Piña textile features triangular bouquets in relief enclosed by stylized “camachile” fruits (Mexican “guamuchil”/“kamaxtli”) inset with tiny blooms on top and sectioned ribbons running underneath; small bouquets sprinkled throughout otherwise clear spaces; a pattern of small flowers along the scalloped border. This panuelo was intended for a pendant camisa, where the triangular bouquets, stylized “camachile” fruits, sectioned ribbons, small bouquets and flowers would repeat in the sleeves and the flowers in the camisa itself. At first glance, this Piña “panuelo” seems like it is of the same genre and provenance as those exquisite “camisas” and “panuelos” the Paterno ladies wore for their memorable portraits by Justiniano Asuncion y Molo (“Capitan Ting”) from the years 1860–80 --- Capitan Maximino’s second wife Carmen Devera Ygnacio y Pineda, daughters Agueda and Dolores Paterno y Devera Ygnacio, and third wife Teodora Devera Ygnacio y Pineda. And it may very well be so. In fact, this panuelo with its embroidered bouquets enclosed by stylized “camachile” fruits (Mexican “guamuchil”/“kamaxtli”) coordinates more with Agueda Paterno’s camisa than the panuelo she wore for the portrait by her uncle Asuncion. 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 second piece does resemble those from Asuncion portraits. And the 1870s portraits from Biblioteca Nacional– Madrid. The scalloped edges, the strapwork, and bouquets are inspired by European net lace.” “These were Chinese mestiza accessories.” The Paterno ladies were painted by Capitan Maximino’s (“Memo” o 1824 – + 1900) paternal first cousin Justiniano Asuncion y Molo (“Capitan Ting” o 1816 – + 1901) from around 1860–80 dressed in their finest Piña “traje de mestiza” ensembles: second wife Carmen Devera Ygnacio y Pineda (“Carmina” + 1868), third wife Teodora Devera Ygnacio y Pineda (“Loleng” + 1895), daughters Agueda (“Guiday” o 1853 – + 1915) and Dolores (“Doleng” o 1854 – + 1881) Paterno y Devera Ygnacio. It is not known whether the portrait of Carmen was painted posthumously as she passed away before that time. Carmen and younger sister Teodora wore altogether different “traje de mestiza” ensembles --- “camisas,” “panuelos,” and skirts varied. As for Agueda and slightly younger sister Dolores, they seemed to have worn the same Piña “camisa” and “panuelo” but different silk skirts. If not embroidered by the talented Paterno ladies themselves, it was most likely that the Piña “camisas” and “panuelos” were all sourced from Capitan Memo’s elder “sinamayera” sisters Matea (o 1817 – + 1874), Maria Paz (o 1818 – + 1859), Juana (o 1820 – + 1880s), and Martina (o 1834 – + 1899) Molo Agustin Paterno. This “panuelo” is of the same exquisite workmanship, time frame, and provenance as those mentioned and is a magnificent surviving specimen of Piña work.