Weaving Palm Mats on a Bamboo Porch

Three smiling women sit cross-legged on the raised porch of a bamboo house, weaving palm fronds into flat mats. The woman on the left works green leaves into a checked square, the one in the centre splits fronds across her lap, and the woman on the right finishes a pale golden mat. They wear patterned sarongs in teal, purple and red, with shawls and flowers in their hair. Finished mats hang under the thatched roof, and the walls behind them are woven in diamond and zigzag patterns. Bundles of dried fronds, baskets and clay jars sit around the edges, and a woven rug lies on the sandy ground in front. Palm trees, banana leaves and pink flowering shrubs surround the house under a blue sky. Each mat shows a different stage, from loose green fronds to a tight golden weave, so every part of the floor has its own texture.