Suspiciously Chinese: Questioning the Philippine Provenance of Piña Embroidery Collections

Nipis or piña has always been associated with the Philippines, particularly as a 19th-century textile of Iloilo embellished with the white embroidery and drawn-thread work of Manila. Less known is that other Asian countries, especially China and India, manufactured similar products in the 19th century. Examining white embroidery patterns on textiles identified as nipis, piña, or China grass cloth, and attributed to 19th-century Manila in museum collections, documentary and art historical sources strongly suggest that some of these textiles were products of Canton, China, a commercial centre for embroidered textiles and other luxury products for the Western market in the 18th and 19th centuries.