Roba de llengües (Mallorcan ikat) — Traditional craft of Mallorca

What it is and technique

Fabric with drawings of blurred edges, like tongues of fire: hence the name. It is made with ikat: the threads are tied and dyed before weaving. The ties prevent the dye from entering certain sections. When knitting, the drawing appears "moved". Traditionally, cotton and linen; Before, silk was mixed, today almost not because of cost.

Short story

Uncertain origin. The specialized bibliography is almost non-existent (TFG Alomar Llompart, UB). It is repeated that it arrived along the Silk Road or in Muslim times: it is oral and press tradition, without document (to verify).
yes. XVII. Catalufa, another fabric with reserve dyeing, is already documented (review of Flàmules, Datatèxtil).
Beginnings of the s. XVIII. First documentary references to "flàmules" or "llengües" fabrics (Flàmules catalog. Les teles de llengües a Mallorca, 2009). Expensive fabric, from wealthy homes.
Textile context. From the end of the 17th century the island went from wool to linen, hemp and cotton; In the 17th century, linen weavers were already making cotonines (Deyà Bauzà, 2007). In 1784 the Part Forana had 631 linen weavers with 864 looms, compared to 107 wool weavers (Memoirs of the Royal Economic Society). That is the breeding ground for languages.
yes. XIX. Cotton and the loom make the fabric cheaper: it passes to the middle class (curtains, bedding, table linen). The current workshops were born: Vicens (1854, started with wool), Riera (1896), Bujosa (1949).
yes. XX. Martí Vicenç Alemany (Pollença, 1926) renews colors and compositions without losing the character of the fabric.
2009. Flàmules exhibition and catalog (Casal Solleric, Palma; IDI edition).
04/21/2026. The Consell de Mallorca declares the BIC Immaterial technique.

Process step by step

What the workshops say (there are no published times per piece; "months of work" according to the press about Riera):

1. Design and calculation. The drawing is decided and in which sections of each thread each color will go.

2. Prepare the order. White cotton threads (also linen; formerly silk) in skeins or bundles.

3. Arrange (reserve). The sections that should not be dyed are tied. It is the step that defines the drawing.

4. Tenyir. By hand, in tubs or sinks (Bujosa makes it in a patio). Tying and untying is repeated for each color. It is the most laborious phase.

5. Assecar. Drying the threads.

6. Order. The dyed threads are assembled in order on the warper and passed to the loom.

7. Teixir. On looms from the ss. XIX-XX (Bujosa uses mechanical looms from around 1870). The threads move slightly and the drawing is left with "flaming" edges.

8. Result. The fabric has no right or wrong side: the drawing is the same on both sides.

###Tints

Today: dyes in jars in Bujosa, described as "natural" by the press (Cabana Magazine); It is not known which plants or if there are chemicals (to verify). Reference color: blue, old indigo (Bujosa token).
History (wool textile, not llengües): Ordinament dels dyers de Mallorca de 1315; around 1520, dyeing a cloth black was the most expensive phase of the process; In 1590, the hot tub was changed to the cold tub (Deyà Bauzà, 2007). In the s. XV, torxella, a dye lichen, was traded (Rosselló Vaquer and Bover, BSAL 2001). Sa Granja (Esporles) preserves an old dyeing workshop.
There is no basis for a record of Mallorcan "natural tints" as a living trade; It remains here as a section.

Forms and objects

Fabric by the meter. Width 1.50 m (Vicens) or 70 cm (Bujosa).
House: curtains, bedspreads, upholstery, cushions, tablecloths and napkins.
Dress and accessories: formerly dress; today bags, belts, espardenyes, sandals, clothes (Pablo Erroz).
Motif: the "llengua" or "flàmula", a flame shape with blurred edges, in repeated bands. Common colors: blues, olive green, intense reds. I have not found documented local names for each drawing variant (per check with the workshops or the Flàmules catalogue).

Vocabulary

roba de llengües / tela de llengos: Mallorcan fabric with a flame pattern made with ikat.
flàmula: flame; ancient name of these fabrics ("teles de flàmules").
ikat: technique of reserve dyeing the threads before weaving (Malay word).
catalufa: reserve-dyed fabric documented in Mallorca in the 19th century. XVII.
ordit: set of longitudinal threads of the fabric.
ordir: prepare and arrange the ordit threads for the loom.
trama: thread that crosses the order from side to side.
teler: loom.
teixidor / teixidora: whoever weaves.
teixidor de lli: weaver of vegetable fibers (linen, hemp, cotton); own guild since the Modern Age.
lligar: tie sections of the thread so that they do not take the dye.
tenyir: dye.
tintorer: dyer; regulated trade in Mallorca since 1315.
cotonina: cotton fabric made by linen weavers in the 19th century. XVII.
madeixa: skein of thread.

Geography

Pollença (Vicens): in 1584 it was the town with the most paraires (80) and in 1570 with the most wool weavers in the Part Forana (12). Long textile tradition.
Lloseta (Riera) and Santa Maria del Camí (Bujosa): Raiguer, rural manufacturing area; Santa Maria also had industrial embroidery.
Why there: there are no local raw materials (cotton is imported); What there is is a tradition of rural weavers and home labor since the 19th century. XVI.

Xifres

Active workshops: 3 (Vicens, Riera, Bujosa). Cabana Magazine talks about 4 (per verify).
Foundation: Vicens 1854; Riera 1896; Bujosa 1949.
Bujosa looms: mechanical from around 1870, in daily use.
Riera: 70% recycled cotton and 30% raw linen (mallorca.com directory; please verify).
BIC Immaterial: 04/21/2026 (Consell de Mallorca). UNESCO: only announced in 2021, not presented.
Prices: not published reliably (please verify in store).

Why is it design

The drawing is on the thread, not on top of it. The pattern is decided before knitting: it is design by calculation, like a code.
Reversible. No front or back: lasts longer and can be turned.
The mistake is style. The blurry edge arises from the small displacement of the threads. The technique turns its imprecision into a signature.
Imitation vs. process. The print copies the image in seconds; the BIC protects the process. Central question of authenticity.
Proximity. Family workshops that dye, weave and sell in the same town: see proximitat design .

Where and who today

There are only three workshops left:

Teixits Vicens — Pollença. More than 170 years, five generations; today with Cati Vicens in the direction. Guided tours. Martí Vicenç Museum (old looms). teixits-vicens
Teixits Riera - Lloseta (c/ Major 50). Selected from the Moda Artesana de Mallorca brand. teixits-riera
Bujosa Textile Crafts — Santa Maria del Camí. artesania-textil-bujosa

The "Teixits de Pollença" that are cited in guides are, in practice, the production of Vicens (llengües, blankets, checkered fabrics).

State

Alive but fragile: three family workshops. The Consell de Mallorca declared it Bé d'Interès Cultural Immaterial (news from April 2026). Measures: support for workshops, guarantee of authenticity and fight against printed imitations. Before (2021) there was talk of a UNESCO candidacy; There is no record that it has been presented.

Contemporary Updates

Pablo Erroz (Majorcan designer): collections with ikat woven by Bujosa; at MBFW Madrid 2025, 100% cotton lingües made in Mallorca. pablo-erroz
Stores like Ribes & Casals (Palma) sell fabric by the meter; Be careful: there are printed versions that imitate ikat.

For the project

Possible piece: designer × workshop collaboration for a llengües fabric with a new design (not printed), documenting the tying and dyeing process as an atlas/exhibition piece.
Contact: Cati Vicens (Teixits Vicens, Pollença) or Artesania Tèxtil Bujosa (Santa Maria); Previous collaboration reference: Pablo Erroz.
Background question: what is "authentic" when a printer imitates in seconds what ikat takes weeks? Is the process or the image protected?

Frequently asked questions

What is Roba de llengües (Mallorcan ikat)?

Fabric with drawings of blurred edges, like tongues of fire: hence the name. It is made with ikat: the threads are tied and dyed before weaving. The ties…

Who practises Roba de llengües (Mallorcan ikat) in Mallorca today?

The Balearic Islands Crafts Register lists 32 artisans linked to this craft, in Palma, Pollença, Alaró, Lloseta, Artà.

What are the traditional words for Roba de llengües (Mallorcan ikat)?

Some words: catalufa, cotonina, flàmula, ikat, lligar, madeixa, ordir, ordit.

Sources

Working text from the Disseny Indígena knowledge base, machine-translated from Spanish.

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