The Waldo Collection
Interior Design Accessories and Natural Fiber Rugs

Natural Fiber Abaca & Raffia Rugs

Abaca (Musa Textiles Nee) is a member of the Musaceae family to which the banana tree also belongs. It is the most popular of all Philippine natural fiber, leading all other leaf fiber in its degree of strength because of its high tensile strength and the length of its fibers. When woven in its decorticated form it becomes the strongest natural fiber made into cordage (rope & twine) and also one of the most durable and handsome hand-woven rugs ever produced. Abaca has a natural protective coating that makes it fire retardant, and all substances in liquid form slide through the rug.

Raffia is a 100% natural product which is obtained from the fronds of the raffia palm in Madagascar. The raffia palm is a very long lived plant that naturally regenerates itself making it a very environmentally correct fiber. The very large palm leaves are employed for the production of raffia, a fiber used in floriculture and horticulture as well as a number of woven articles for use in the home. Our Raffia rugs have a wonderful rustic charm and beautiful natural color.

Abaca and Raffia fiber are offered in four (4) hand-woven designs as 100% natural, reversible area rugs: Mini Binding, Jumbo Binding, Irish Matting and Nottingham. Mini Binding and Jumbo Binding can be woven up to 20’ wide, and as long as the customer needs. Irish matting can be woven as wide and as long as needed.

Abaca has a natural range of colors from dark umber to the lightest golden. Care is taken to gather all dark fibers together to produce Tobacco, lighter fibers for Camel, and the lightest fibers to produce Golden. Slight variations in tonality is a result of the different growing seasons, which is a characteristic of quality natural fiber and should not be taken as a defect, but is considered part of its charm. No dye is used to achieve the Golden, Camel, Tobacco or Natural Raffia colors.

Abaca and Raffia have a great organic quality (natural movement) and because the rugs are hand woven, accuracy in sizing allows for a discrepancy of up to 2-3 inches in length and width. Stock-sizing though, are nearly almost perfect.