Crafting with Coconut Palm Frond: Maldivian Craftmanship
Author(s)
Title
Crafting with Coconut Palm Frond: Maldivian Craftmanship
Alternative Title
Fanuge Masakkaiy: Dhivehi Masakkaiy Therikan (ފަނުގެ މަސައްކަތް : ދިވެހި މަސައްކަތްތެރިކަން)
Publication Type
Language
div
Number of Pages
6
Location
Maldives
Keywords
Crafts
Coconut palm fronds
Maldives
Culture
Relevance to ICH Safeguarding
ICH Genre
Description
The traditional craft of weaving coconut leaves, known as Fanuge Masakkaiy in Dhivehi, was a vital aspect of Maldivian life, influencing many aspects of daily activities, culture, and survival. This craft arose out of necessity, as the Maldives is a group of low-lying islands where resources like metals, clay, and wood are not available. Any such materials were imported, and this made it scarce. However, coconut palms are abundant across the islands, providing sustainable, renewable material for crafting household tools, toys, festive decorations, building materials, and even boat sails.
Importance of Coconut leaf Weaving in Maldivian Life:
1. Household Tools and Utensils: Coconut fronds were woven into items such as baskets, mats, and fans, which played essential roles in domestic life and Coconut ekels are used for making household cleaning items such as brooms. The fronds were lightweight, strong, and versatile, making them ideal for crafting everyday objects used in cooking, and storage.
2. Toys and Festive Items: Weaving also played a role in creating toys for children and decorations for special occasions and festivals.
3. Thatching for Houses and Boats: Thatching, using woven palm leaves, was central to Maldivian architecture. The roofs of traditional homes were often made of carefully woven fronds, providing insulation from heat and protection from rain. Similarly, boats used frond sails, which were lightweight and flexible, enabling smoother navigation across seas.
4. Environmental Suitability: Coconut palms are highly adaptable to the salty, sandy soil of the Maldives, and their widespread availability made coconut leaf weaving a sustainable practice.
Preparation of Fronds:
The process of weaving varied depending on the specific use of the item being created. The maturity of the fronds and the methods of preparation were tailored to the craft’s requirements:
- Stages of Maturation: Different stages of frond maturation were essential for crafting different items. Young, tender fronds, for example, were softer and easier to manipulate, making them ideal for decorative or delicate work like making toys and festive decoration items and boat sails. Older, more mature fronds were tougher, sturdier, and more durable, suited for roofing thatch.
- Cutting and Shaving Techniques: The way fronds were cut, shaved, and prepared also varied with the intended craft. For more intricate or decorative weaving, the leaves might be split into thin strips or shaved to create uniform thickness and flexibility. For heavier-duty crafts like thatching, the leaves were often left more intact, with minimal cutting to maintain their strength.
Techniques and Weaving Patterns:
- Plain Weaving: Common for items like mats or baskets, this technique used minimal frond manipulation, creating sturdy, tight weaves.
- Intricate Decorative Weaving: For special items such as ceremonial items or toys, more intricate patterns like braiding or interlacing could be employed.
- Coir rope interlaced weaving: A coir rope is sewn through the leaves to hold them together. This is a Fangi. Fangi is used to cover roofs and make walls or partitions.
Importance of Coconut leaf Weaving in Maldivian Life:
1. Household Tools and Utensils: Coconut fronds were woven into items such as baskets, mats, and fans, which played essential roles in domestic life and Coconut ekels are used for making household cleaning items such as brooms. The fronds were lightweight, strong, and versatile, making them ideal for crafting everyday objects used in cooking, and storage.
2. Toys and Festive Items: Weaving also played a role in creating toys for children and decorations for special occasions and festivals.
3. Thatching for Houses and Boats: Thatching, using woven palm leaves, was central to Maldivian architecture. The roofs of traditional homes were often made of carefully woven fronds, providing insulation from heat and protection from rain. Similarly, boats used frond sails, which were lightweight and flexible, enabling smoother navigation across seas.
4. Environmental Suitability: Coconut palms are highly adaptable to the salty, sandy soil of the Maldives, and their widespread availability made coconut leaf weaving a sustainable practice.
Preparation of Fronds:
The process of weaving varied depending on the specific use of the item being created. The maturity of the fronds and the methods of preparation were tailored to the craft’s requirements:
- Stages of Maturation: Different stages of frond maturation were essential for crafting different items. Young, tender fronds, for example, were softer and easier to manipulate, making them ideal for decorative or delicate work like making toys and festive decoration items and boat sails. Older, more mature fronds were tougher, sturdier, and more durable, suited for roofing thatch.
- Cutting and Shaving Techniques: The way fronds were cut, shaved, and prepared also varied with the intended craft. For more intricate or decorative weaving, the leaves might be split into thin strips or shaved to create uniform thickness and flexibility. For heavier-duty crafts like thatching, the leaves were often left more intact, with minimal cutting to maintain their strength.
Techniques and Weaving Patterns:
- Plain Weaving: Common for items like mats or baskets, this technique used minimal frond manipulation, creating sturdy, tight weaves.
- Intricate Decorative Weaving: For special items such as ceremonial items or toys, more intricate patterns like braiding or interlacing could be employed.
- Coir rope interlaced weaving: A coir rope is sewn through the leaves to hold them together. This is a Fangi. Fangi is used to cover roofs and make walls or partitions.
Book/Journal Title
Publisher
National Center for Linguistic and Historical Research (Dhivehi Bahaa Thaareekha Khidhumaikuraa Gaumee Markaz)
Place of Publication
Male', Maldives
Date of Publication
Jan 1983
Issue
46
Pages
5-10
Academic Field
Social practice
Arts and crafts
Community/Ethnic Group
Maldivian craftsmen
Contributor
Active Contribution
Maldives, FY 2024