Timor Leste
One of my bags has been made using fabric woven in Timor Leste. I bought a few pieces of the traditional East Timorese cloth when visiting our youngest son, his wife & baby son when they lived in the capital of Timor Leste, Dili. They had both secured work there but the uncertainty of the Covid19 epidemic had them return to Australia after about 2 ½ years. What a wonderful experience it was for them and I am very grateful that we were able to visit, not once, but twice!
Tais has always been generally woven by women, originally to make ceremonial garments, and is a symbol of cultural identity. The design and colours used change from district to district. Since independence from Indonesia in 1999, the country is slowly finding its feet and with the assistance of many global N.G.O.’s and amazing individuals, all sorts of Co-operatives have been set up to provide an opportunity for people to earn money. Women’s co-ops include Tais weaving work spaces and with the fledgling tourism industry growing the women are now using Tais fabric to make non-traditional items like bags, jewellery, book covers and other interesting items.
Here are some links if you would like to read more about Tais -
https://www.thetextileatlas.com/craft-stories/tais-cloth-timor-leste
Dili - Timor Leste
A hazy view of Dili from The Dare Memorial Museum and Café. It is in the hills above Dili and overlooks the city. It commemorates the Australian soldiers and the Timorese kriados (helpers/friends) who fought against the Japanese during WWII.