Textiles as Heritage in the Maldives

Although primary school enrollment rates are extraordinarily high in the Maldives, higher education institutions are relatively recent and have only seen rapid expansion over the past few years. In the field of textiles, sewing and tailoring remained extremely local, and, at present, there are still no university courses. However, the situation is evolving rapidly, with many new projects and recent initiatives by government, state-owned and private enterprises, private individuals, and NGOs. Formal textile education remains marginal, especially for traditional products. For this reason, the chapter focuses on traditional textile arts as heritage assets at risk of disappearance. Traditional crafts are perhaps the most tangible manifestation of intangible cultural heritage. Over the centuries, the Maldivian people have developed a body of traditional knowledge suited to a fragile environment dominated by the sea and a scarcity of land resources. Ancient traditions involving the arts of weaving and embroidery have always been of particular importance in the country. Maldivians have used local resources (reeds, coconut leaves, screwpine leaves) to weave decorative mats and other items, such as thatch, rope, and sails. This chapter focuses on two products—mats (thundu kunaa) and lace (kasabu libaas)—which we have chosen to illustrate the main characteristics of Maldivian textile art. These distinctive traditional skills are now at risk of disappearing with older generations and, in some cases, now owe their survival to the recovery of craftsmanship and memory for the tourist industry. Traditional weaving has also been revisited and adapted to contemporary fashion.