The study seeks to establish broad cultural themes which are variously articulated by the incredible diversity of ethnolinguistic groups in insular Southeast Asia. The effort is in recognition of the necessity of a macro view as a mental geography within which to appreciate micro differences.
The output is essentially a compendium of information and insights defining an insular Southeast Asian textile tradition. Chapter 1 (Geographies of Cloth) integrates formal textual and field information on Philippine, Indonesian and Kalimantain textile. Materials on production technologies are included as a background for understanding the physical and aesthetic structure of these textiles. Chapter 2 (Geographies of Cloth distribution) plots the spread of different textile technologies, formal composition, motifs, and materials across the breadth and length of insular Southeast Asia. Chapter 3 (Geographies of Cultures) describes various ethnographic profiles of insular Southeast Asian cultures and similarities of certain types of socio-cultural structures pertaining to textile production. Cross-reference with current archaeological work and historical records are also done. Chapter 4 (Geographies of Knowledges) charts the nature of accumulated textual, field, historical, anthropological, and humanities-oriented information which shape the understanding of textiles in the region. With certain insights drawn from the proponents' survey trips, the scholarly materials are contrasted and compared to plot possible directions of future researches. A short epilogue chapter (Geographies of Imagination) summarizes knowledge which are not necessarily quantifiable or scientific.
