A practical term, not a single fabric
In Tubu Atlas, “tubu” is used as a practical umbrella for locally made cloth associated with household spinning, weaving, printing and regional textile traditions. It does not imply that every object was made in exactly the same way.
The Atlas therefore records material, weave, printing or dye process, region and date as separate fields. This keeps the catalog useful even when one part of an attribution changes.
Why individual objects matter
Old cloth carries information in its width, yarn, selvage, repairs, fading and pattern repeat. A strong record keeps those details attached to the object instead of reducing it to a generic “vintage fabric” listing.
Every textile receives a permanent object ID so that an available piece can later become a sold or archived record without losing its history.