Home industry rattan weaving

In the tiny riverside village of Jabiren, older women keep alive the art of rattan weaving. Using the natural motifs of water plants, with curling leaves, and striking geometric designs, coloured with natural dyes, these beautifully woven mats have a long tradition in Central Kalimantan.

Rattan grows prolifically here, and it is said this region produces some of the best rattan in the world. Cleaned and processed manually in simple factories, the rattan canes, sulphur dried to a soft gold colour in lengths of about 6m, are the starting point for these weavers. Using simple tools, the canes are spliced into narrow shreds, some are dyed, and the weaving process starts.

Using a bench seat, or the living room floor, these works of art grow over about a month into the typical large floor mats, so often used here for seating and sometimes sleeping.