ONLINE MUSEUM OF INDONESIAN IKAT TEXTILES
CURATOR: Dr PETER TEN HOOPEN BROWSE FROM:
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON PC 085
Comments by Vernon Kedit
This is what I would call a quintessentially Saribas masterpiece. Typical Lower Layar artistry with very careful attention to the conventional style of the day. 1900s or possibly even earlier. All natural vegetable dyes. The selvedges are interesting - the outermost is a thin strip of light red. Pink? Pink was a pricey colour to purchase at the time as it was not readily available. An elegant touch of class.
The design is a famous and old one and I have devoted an entire chapter to it. I'll not describe it yet but suffice to say it has nothing to do with vines or creepers. The weaver executed it with great skill though she had yet to declare publicly that she had assumed master weaver status. She began the main field with five curls and ended with six curls in one fold. Masters achieve six curls in one fold at both the beginning and ending. This weaver was almost a masterweaver and she showed it by finishing with six curls.
The edge motifs are brilliantly executed, reflecting the theme of the main field. There are paths and feathers that tell the weaver's story, and she tells it very well through this cloth.
©Peter ten Hoopen, 2024. The contents of this website are provided for personal, educational, non-commercial use only.
No part of this website may be reproduced in any form without explicit permission of the copyright holder.