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Iconographic Meaning

The frontal humans are an ancient and distinctively Indonesian design. Snakes, deer, and plants are local references, reflecting the close connection of the Sumbanese with their environment (Larsen). Rampant deer ? are possibly a variation of the rampant lion motif adapted from Dutch coins and/or flags. This Dutch royal symbol became a status symbol for the Sumbanese nobility (Adams). The pagoda design probably derives from Chinese trade ceramics.

History Of Use

Noble man's ceremonial cloth. In Indondesia, textiles have great social and spiritual significance. Woven textiles are seen as a metaphor for life; the interweaving symbolizes the predestined elements of life (warp) interwoven with life's variables (weft). Traditionally, ikat woven textiles revealed the social rank and kin association of the wearer; and many designs were owned. The ritual display and exchange of these textiles was very important particularly in rites of passage ceremonies. For the most part, Indonesian clothing is based on a rectangle, which is draped over the body or sewn in a tube. Additional rectangles are used for belts, mantles, head cloths etc. Hinggi's, or men's waist and shoulder cloths, in all but the plainest weaves were traditionally restricted to high-ranking individuals. Since the 1920's restrictions on the use of designs has not been enforced. These ikats were made by relatively few women in the households of the nobility, for their own use, for trade with interior groups, and within the last 100 years for export. The ikats made for export are often not as finely woven nor as intricate as the traditional ones. Designs may also not be as elaborate, nor conform to traditional design concepts (Adams; Larsen).

Description

Man's ceremonial hip cloth. Large rectangular ikat weaving with a braided fringe along the shorter ends. Two virtually identical panels hand-sewn together lengthwise; motifs on brown ground, repeat 'mirror image' on each panel. Large, central, standing beige humanoid figure with fore-arms held up on each side of head 90 degrees to upper arms, hands supine, feet splayed at bottom. Large round nose, square mouth and eyes; ears with large dangling earrings. Diagonally striped orange and beige shirt. Blue calf-length skirt with orange rampant, facing, antlered quadrupeds, and orange and beige detail. Crown-like, vertically and horizontally striped headdress. Figure surrounded top and sides by blue, orange and beige striped band. Beige plant-like stalk with paired intermittent blue, orange and beige leaves surrounding band from bottom, both sides. Ends at top in vertically striped red and beige bands to central design. Bottom centre orange circle surrounded by beige circle; horizontal line across and diagonal lines to stalks, up from centre; crossed by other beige lines ending in beige and orange ovals. Up sides of motif facing in and beside figure facing out are beige with red, 'rampant', antlered quadrupeds. Blue snakes between. Across centre of weaving is band of four symmetrical Chinese, stylized pagoda-like figures in orange and beige; decorated rectangles between. Orange, cream and blue banded twined border to striped fringe, unfinished to sides. Some pulled threads, small piece of white paper glued ? near centre of one border.