Crafts
Ikat weaving
Margilan, Fergana, Uzbekistan
Silk threads are tied and dyed before weaving, which gives the cloth its blurred, feathery patterns. Margilan is a traditional centre.
Craft: Resist-dyed silk
Cloth with a story
Dyed, woven and embroidered cloth that carries identity, from ikat to kente to tweed.
The places
Crafts
Pochampally Ikat
Bhoodan Pochampally, Telangana, India
Yarn is tied and dyed before weaving so that geometric patterns appear in the finished cloth. It is known as the silk city of India.
Craft: Resist-dyed weaving
Crafts
Batik
Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia
Fabric is patterned by drawing with hot wax before dyeing. Batik is recognised on UNESCO's intangible heritage list.
Craft: Wax-resist dyeing
Culture
Kente cloth
Bonwire, Ashanti Region, Ghana
Kente is woven in narrow strips that are sewn together. Each pattern and colour has its own meaning, and the cloth is worn on special occasions.
Tradition: Hand-woven strip cloth
Crafts
Bògòlanfini
Ségou, Mali
Handwoven cotton is dyed with fermented mud to create bold geometric patterns, each of which carries its own symbolism.
Craft: Mud cloth
Crafts
Maya backstrap weaving
Chichicastenango, Quiché, Guatemala
Maya women weave cloth on a backstrap loom, with colours and patterns that identify the village each person comes from.
Craft: Hand-woven cloth
Crafts
Navajo weaving
Chinle, Arizona, United States
Navajo weavers make wool rugs with bold geometric designs using upright looms, a skill passed down through families.
Craft: Woven rugs
Crafts
Songket
Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
A handwoven silk or cotton cloth with gold or silver threads added by hand into the weave, worn at weddings and royal ceremonies.
Craft: Gold-thread brocade
Crafts
Harris Tweed
Isle of Harris, Outer Hebrides, United Kingdom
A tweed that, by law, must be handwoven by islanders in their homes in the Outer Hebrides from Scottish wool.
Craft: Hand-woven wool cloth
Crafts
Kanjeevaram silk
Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India
Kanchipuram weavers make durable silk saris with gold-thread borders in temple and floral motifs, and the cloth carries a geographical indication.
Craft: Heavy woven silk saris
Crafts
Banarasi silk
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Varanasi's weavers make silk brocades woven with gold and silver thread, traditionally used for bridal saris.
Craft: Brocade weaving