Philippine Mats

Philippines. Bureau of EducationProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

1.8

Word count: 188K words
Chapters: 19

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Philippine Mats by Philippines. Bureau of EducationAuthor: Philippines. Bureau of Education,Language: English, Class: HD: Social sciences: Economic history and conditions, Production, Release Date: Jan 4, 2010

Editor's review

This book was compiled by the Philippine Bureau of Education and is a free ebook in the Project Gutenberg collection, on the subject of Philippine mats. By classification it falls under economic history and production, indicating that its focus is not the aesthetic appreciation of weaving craft but the economic dimension of mats as a local product and handicraft industry. The book most likely introduces the materials used for mats, their places of origin, their making, and their uses in daily life, carrying the practical and popularizing character of readers compiled by an educational institution. For today's readers its value lies more at the level of historical source and folklore: it offers a glimpse of the production conditions of local handicrafts in the early twentieth-century Philippines, and of how an education department introduced native products to the public. It is short, written in English, and suited to casual reading by those interested in Southeast Asian material culture and colonial-era economic life, as well as to museum workers, folklore researchers, or craft enthusiasts as auxiliary reference material, though it should not be expected to serve as a systematic craft tutorial.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Southeast Asian material culture and folklore
History and literature enthusiasts studying the economic history of local handicrafts
Teachers or curators needing popular material on Philippine native products
Readers who enjoy browsing old educational readers and learning about period perspectives

Not a good fit for

Craft practitioners wanting specific weaving steps and pattern designs
Readers expecting modern design-aesthetic analysis or high-resolution plates
Researchers needing contemporary Philippine industry data

Reading tips

Start with the table of contents and classification notes to confirm the book treats product economy rather than weaving instruction.
While reading, note descriptions of materials, places of origin, and uses, and compare them with the current state of Southeast Asian craft.
Use it as a reference book by reading selectively, picking sections relevant to your research or interests.
When taking folklore or economic-history notes, jot down the period perspectives and modes of expression the book reflects.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Does this book teach how to weave mats?

From the available information, it was compiled by the Philippine Bureau of Education and classified under economic history and production; its focus is more likely popular introductory coverage of mats as a local product—materials, places of origin, and uses—rather than a step-by-step weaving tutorial. Readers who want to learn weaving hands-on should look for a dedicated craft manual.

Why was this book compiled by a bureau of education?

When educational institutions compiled readers on native products, they usually aimed to popularize knowledge of the country's resources and handicrafts among the public. This suggests that the book's content is likely introductory and educational, plainly written, and reflects the official perspective of the time on local industry—a period context worth noting while reading.

Are there pictures or patterns in the book?

The information does not state whether there are illustrations, so this cannot be confirmed. Project Gutenberg ebooks vary: some retain the original images, others are text only. It is advisable to browse the file after downloading to check. If you need pattern references, do not treat it as a plate book; look for dedicated illustrated publications instead.

What use is it to today's readers?

Its main value is as a historical source and folklore: it shows the materials, places of origin, and daily uses of Philippine mat production in the early twentieth century, and how an education department introduced native products. For readers studying local handicrafts, material culture, or colonial-era economic life, it is useful auxiliary material.

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About the author

Philippines. Bureau of Education Author · Philippine

The Philippines. Bureau of Education is a government agency responsible for public school education and educational administration in the Philippines, functioning as an educational administrative body. Public information is limited, and the agency's detailed history and specific division of responsibilities remain unclear. Judging from Philippine Mats, the only work by this agency in the collection, its writing and publishing focus involves traditional Philippine handicrafts and local cultural knowledge, likely intended for school use or public education. Materials compiled by such government educational bodies are generally field-based, plainly written, and practically oriented, offering primary references for the study of Philippine weaving crafts and folk customs. As only one work under this agency's name is held in the collection, its overall writing style and publishing scale await further documentation.