Handloom

Sri Lanka has a long history with handlooms, and the loom has been prominently depicted in native mythology and tales. Sri Lanka has been renowned as a textile production center for over 1000 years, with records of the island selling brilliantly patterned cotton fabrics with India and China.

Today, the handloom industry in Sri Lanka is a cottage industry, with a few significant producers leading the way. In collaboration with the National Handloom Center of Sri Lanka, the traditional weaving patterns are preserved alive in a sector dominated by women. The majority of Sri Lankan handlooms are made of cotton and silk threads and are sold as sarees, shawls, sarongs, as well as household linen, upholstery, tapestry, and curtain textiles. Traditional handlooms of Sri Lanka continue to provide color to various living spaces around the country, being exported throughout the world and offered under local and worldwide brands.

These items are intended for niche markets where high-quality handcrafted products are appreciated. Sri Lankan handloom producers are capable of delivering a wide range of products to countries such as Italy, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Norway, the Netherlands, and the Maldives, which are among the top customers of Sri Lankan handloom textile products.