Three types of weaving techniques exist in Huvadhoo. The bobbin weaving of narrow bands of color strips used as the decorative application on the upper parts of the women’s national dress. Second was the mat weaving, and third the textile weaving.
1) Bobbin (lace) weaving in Thinadoo: We visited the home of a weaver who demonstrated to us how she weaves the ribbon strips by hand. This method is used by weavers in Thinadoo island to make narrow bands of ribbons called kasabu that are used to attach onto the traditional dress called kasabu libas. A large rounded stuffed cushion support is placed on a turned lacquer work wood base, and this is what the weaver works from the top of this cushion to wind the bobbin threads back and forth to make the design on the ribbon. Gold and metallic colored threads are popular on this island. The strip of ribbon is about ½ inch to 1 ½ inch in width, and these bands of ribbon are then attached to the neck and upper parts of the libas dress. This is a three quarter length dress worn over a longer solid color skirt. The threads used come from Trivandrum, Kerala, India. They continue to import these thread that are used for the kasabu weaving. The museum in Thinadoo has images of the kasabu libas, and another lacquer wood cylinder support and cushion used for the weaving.
Note: In Sri Lanka this form of bobbin weaving is still practiced and was introduced during the Portuguese and Dutch colonial periods. The weaving technique utilizing several bobbins wrapped with a strong white cotton thread and called bobbin lace was used to weave various strips of fine lace with fine to medium think cotton threads that are used trim the neck and sleeves of women’s garments and used as border edgings on doilies and tablecloths.
2) Mat weaving: Thundu Kunaa mats from South Huvadhoo Atoll.
In Ghaddhoo island we visited the home of the principal weaver and National Award winner for mat weaving. Her name is Mariam Faiza. Two others were also there, Amisa Mohamed (who also won a National Award) and Aminah Wahida an experienced weaver. The ladies demonstrated the process and weaving technique to the research team and then brought out various pieces of woven mats for us to examine and document. The larger mats were used as a covering over surface for the traditional swing beds that are strung with fine coir rope, and are seen in most homes.
These mats can be used daily and are long lasting. The mat is woven on a special mat-weaving loom and the weaving is done on the reverse. My images and videos will show you the process. Details of the craft, materials, natural dyes and technique of reverse weaving is found in the booklet by MACCS and website. For further eference:
The Production & Design of Thundu Kunaa Mats in Huvadu Atoll, edited by Aminath Abdulla, produced by MACCS – Maldives Authentic Crafts Cooperative Society, 2017]
https://www.goodmarket.global/maccs, and https://www.unesco-ichcap.org/mat-weaving-in-the-maldives.
The Maldivian coir rope making has been practiced for centuries, and associated in seafaring and boatbuilding. The finest coir for marine use is Maldivian. For reference see coir rope making in the Maldives. For furtherreference:
https://www.themaldivesexpert.com/1910/the-art-of-coir-rope-making.
3) Handloom weaving was done in the Maldives. We visited a family who had an old loom that was made in India. The weaver who was a man had died and the loom was not used after this. We documented the loom and some pieces of fabric that had been woven by the weaver. No one in his family was interested in being a weaver.
Coral stone is the traditional and prevalent building material in the islands and a cement and sand mixture is used to secure the coral stones. The selected stones are of varying shapes and sizes but conform to a standardized size needed to build the exterior walls of houses, and to build the half walls that define the compounds. Coral stone is not mined for the sea. The earliest building construction used a lime mixture instead of the cement and can be recognized by a whiter color between the coral stones, and the more recent buildings have used cement and the color is a medium grey. Today the old methods are not used, and concrete bricks are added to make repairs and extensions to the walls. These standard concrete molded bricks are made in concrete mixer using water, cement and imported broken granite rocks. One can see these extensions as they are often left unpainted. The buildings reflect a lot of light and the roads are made of coral sand, giving the town clusters a unique charm. Some of the houses are painted in lively bright colors. Observation on social behavior show that privacy is respected and most family life is behind the boundary walls.
Chairs: A special type of string seat is used and perhaps unique to the Maldives. Originally the supporting framework was made of bamboo or solid cane about 1 ½ inches diameter to construct the frame and secured with fine coir rope to hold the ends tight. Old bamboo frames have been replaced by heavy gauge PVC tubing. The string is either a fine coir string or a nylon string to support the back and sitting surface. Not unlike a hammock chair. These are made into two or more individual seats set on the ground. Often these seats are placed in front of the boundary walls of each house as a place to sit and congregate. Often sheltered by a leafy tree or a brightly flowering bougainvillea vine. These seats are placed under a clump of shady trees, and often at the harbor entrance to the islands. Also these seats are built near the beach and fishing areas placed under a cluster of palm trees for people to congregate. Another single seat is a circular, square or rectangular framed seat that is hung from a branch. Four strong strings are extended from the seat frame and attached to a single rope suspended from the branch. This has a string mesh support and is swing seat. A few hammocks were also seen among the outdoor seating clusters. These are ideal resting area during the heat of the day or used in the evenings.
The traditional swing bed is more formal piece of furniture and found inside some of the old homes. This can be used as a bed or seat for a couple of people. It has a hardwood frame and is attached onto a ceiling beam. The seat frame is strung of fine coir with a light quilt place over it. Or a woven mat is used. Some of these swing beds had flat wood surfaces.
A very old wooden bed with coir string support and turned lacquer work legs comes from a family collection that goes back several generations. Turned lacquer work on wood is an island craft (although not found in Huvadhoo). Also a few loungers or planters chairs with cane supports were seen.
A wooden three-legged stool was seen in one home in Fioari and was said to have been purchased from another island outside of Huvadhoo. This resembles the mukkali ‘S’ shaped three-legged stool used in viharas and kovils in the Kandyan Kingdom and seen in the National Museum Kandy, Sri Lanka.
Molded plastic chairs are everywhere, and are weatherproof and conveniently stackable.
There are several old mosques throughout the Maldivian islands. We visited two of them.
1) Kalhuvakaru Mosque, Male, is a 17th century coral stone mosque, now reassembled in the museum grounds. When we visited it was in the process of being repaired and restored. The foundation is all cut and sculptured out of coral stone (or coral limestone? Some broken and missing parts are been added and stone workers are making the repairs. The interior structure is made of ebony and various types of tropical hardwoods. The roof is now covered by corrugated metal. The original roofs of the old mosques were made of thatched coconut leaf as seen on old photographs.
2) Vadhoo island: This mosque Vaadhoo Asaaree Miskiy, is dated to the 16th century. Vadhoo is spelt Vadoo, Vaadhoo or Vahdoo. Many spellings can vary.
This is a 16th century mosque [blk & wht image of this mosque taken from the museum]. This mosque is located within the island, and off the main dirt road. The entrance to this is through a large area used as the cemetery on either side of the long walkway leading to the mosque, and around the mosque. It has a recent structure of corrugated metal sheets roof structure to protect the interior. The tombstones on either side were quite impressive although somewhat neglected. The interior is similar to the other mosque seen in Male and followed the same wood beam and pillar structure.
For reference see selected coral stone mosques in the Maldives. This UNESCO account of selected six or old mosques and makes valuable comparisons to Indian Ocean areas of cultural influences of the Swahili coast and the Malay Archipelago.
For further reference:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mosques_in_the_Maldives https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5812/.
https://maldivesheritage.oxcis.ac.uk/index.php/3d-models/mosques-cemeteries-and-muslim-funerary-monuments/
https://maldivesheritage.oxcis.ac.uk/index.php/3d-models/mosques-cemeteries-and-muslim-funerary-monuments/
The other outstanding structure is the Padmanabarapuram palace in Kerala. This “wooden palace was built in1601 C.E and is a masterpiece of indigenous Kerala architecture.” The similarities are strong with the use of turned lacquer work details, and hard wood ceiling joinery and details. “Made of timber, the Mishkal mosque was initially five storied. But it was damaged in arson during an attack by the Portuguese in 1510. Though it still bears traces of the assault, the mosque stands today as the prime example of communal harmony, for it was the Zamorin, a Hindu king, who avenged his Muslim subjects by repairing the mosque.” https://www.keralatourism.org/malabar/mishkal-mosque/79]
The Mishkal mosque, the four-storied mosque situated in Kuttichira, has a history of more than 650 years. It is named after Nakhooda Mishkal, an Arab trader who built this structure.
Note: A comparative study needs to be made on the interior structure and ceilings such as Embekke and parts of the Dalada Palace in Kandy in Sri Lanka, and the Mishkal Mosque in Kuttichira, Malabar dating to the 14th century.
Local cuisine and invitations to lunches and dinners by friends. A mini samosa filled with a mixture of flaked tuna cooked down with equal amounts of seasoning and spices was served to us as a snack on one island and it was an unusually crunchy and delicious. We had had a variation of these samosas and the mas roshi (mini coconut roti) stuffed with tuna flakes served at breakfast for the conference. We ate our meals mostly at small restaurants in each island. We were also invited by friends of the group to partake in several very hearty lunches and dinners. Maldivian hospitality is the best. My images will illustrate the food and the meals we enjoyed. For further Reference: | |||
The ruh coconut palm is the national tree if the Maldives. The palm is prevalent in all of the Maldivian islands, and there are five varieties that grow to different heights. Nulu ruh, Rathu ruh, Dhanbu ruh, Jafanah ruh and Kuhi ruh. We drank the fresh the green coconut called Kurumba, and the yellow/orange variety (referred to as Thambili in Sri Lanka). There is a dwarf variety that’s very easy to access. For further reference. https://www.maldivesbiodiversity.org/Species/Details/1084 The palm flower is tapped for toddy. The liquid sap that drips from the flower stalk that has been cut is collected. The traditional vessel for this process is made from two coconut shells that are joined together to form a vessel that has a double coconut shell form. .Making coconut toddy syrup and sugar solids, very similar to the coconut jaggery produced in Sri Lanka. Some kitchen tools and equipment. Knives used for toddy tapping. Two different types of knives with wooden handles are used. Toddy container. The coconut shell container for toddy. Made from attaching two coconut shells together and sealed together to form a container – [images] Granite grinding stone. This flat stone and roller comes from India, as granite is not found on the islands. Used like a Sri Lankan rectangular miris gala to grind together the grated coconut sambols and dry and wet spices needed for the curries. The shape is squared on one end and a pointed shape on the front end. |
Once we docked the speedboat in the harbor our transport arrangement to the guesthouses depended on how far we needed to go. Sometime a handcart took the luggage and we walked. Sometimes we were met by a driver of a mini truck where we all piled in. The mini trucks varied from tiny to medium sized. Sometime it was by a pillion ride on a few motorbikes that did repeated runs. The same applied when we needed to travel further into the island to visit a site. It was all great fun as the images show.
All image credits go to Aishath Shifa. She was one of the team and did a wonderful job of taking amazing group images as we arrived on each island recording our presence. She also labeled the island on each photo.
This is not a complete list. Most prevalent plants and trees were noted as we walked about the different islands. Images included are from our walkabouts in the towns and jungles looking for ancient sites.
Coconut palms – green kurumba, ruh, kasha
Yellow/orange –tambili
Neem, Kohomba, Margosa – very prevalent
Banyan, ficus – prevalent everywhere
Stone apple – in private gardens, a tiny single stone fruit like mini apple like taste
Breadfruit – prevalent everywhere
Araliya, temple flower
Mango
Beach gardenia – used for mat dyes
Nelli
Guava
Jambu
Casuarina pines – along beaches
Croton
Bougainvillea
Beling
Limes
Hibiscus
Jasmine
Kapok – tropical short stapled cotton
Screw pine – tall tree, and the pine cluster produce an edible flour use in food
Pandanus – rampe
Bananas
Custard apple
Sea almond, Kotang- large shade tree, also produce a tasty nut
[Bo tree not found in the southern Maldives atolls, only in some of the northern atolls]
For further reference: https://livelearn.org/assets/media/docs/resources/Maldives_Plant_guide.pdf
In the late evening before sundown islanders like to go night fishing. We were invited to go on a night fishing trip by our boatmen friends. We all climbed onto a small motorized fishing boat. We set off a little before sundown and anchored just a little beyond the harbor which was determined by the pilot as a probably fishing spot. The engine was shut off. Reels with fishing line were brought out. A bait was attached to the hook and the lines was flung by hand as far as possible into the water. After a while a fish would take it the line. We spent an hour or so and caught a few fish before returning ashore.