Traditional handwoven textiles, Tais in Timor-Leste, play a crucial role in the lives of the people. They are both decorative and used to create traditional clothing with specific designs for men and women. They are also often used to welcome newborn children and to celebrate traditional ceremonies and festivals. Tais differ from group to group, depending on the colors and designs used. The textile is also used as a symbol of wealth, such as for dowries and to strengthen relationships between families. Made of cotton dyed with natural plants, Tais is woven by hand using simple tools. Tais have been used in East Timor since ancient times for trading livestock. It is often worn with feathers, coral, gold, or silver, and is also used for ceremonial purposes.
During the Indonesian occupation, tais weavers found many markets in Indonesian soldiers. Beginning in the 1970's, tais began to display Indonesian inscriptions. After independence, tais artisans began making handbags and scarves as well as custom weavings. NGOs and the UN have been giving tais to workers as gifts or mementos since 1999. Messages have been woven in English, Portuguese, and Tetun into the tais. It's remarkable that most of the weavers are from rural areas, where they cannot read or write.
People who wish to assist East Timorese women with developing income streams are importing tais and assisting weavers and sewing groups by providing items that are sold in Australia and other countries. The selling of tais is rapidly moving offshore as many of the individuals and organizations taking these initiatives belong to the Local Government Friendship groups in Australia.
The traditional culture of Timor Leste includes growing, cutting, tying, knotting, weaving, dyeing, and sheathing fibers, grasses, and leaves, which are used for ceremonial and practical purposes. The weaving of tais is integral to Timorese identity and attitudes toward women, as well as a valuable object of exchange before currency was introduced. Many of the most beautiful tais were used to wrap around the bodies of loved ones for burial in the south-east Asian region. It is said that its importance in wedding arrangements and the associated family ties helped the Timorese thrive despite colonial occupation. A recent forum was held in Melbourne to stimulate debate and dialogue about the impact of commodifying the tais because it is a piece of a craft rooted in culture and sacred life.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/USL/tais-traditional-textile-01688) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tais)