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Ikat from East Sumba, Sumba, Indonesia
 

018 Sumba, East Sumba


Hinggi (men's blanket)  magnifier



Locale: Praliu Kambera.
Period: 1960-1975
Yarn: Cotton, commercial, fine
Technique: Warp ikat
Panels: 2
Size: 123 x 268 cm (4' 0" x 8' 9")   LW: 2.18
Design: Large brick red dragons and shrimp; alternating white and indigo turtles; white turtles in red boxes; skulls. Midsection with habak motifs A nice warm tinge of akar kayu kuning.
Comment: Sumba ikat from the modern period with well-executed complex design. The aquatic animals used to be the prerogative of Sumbanese of noble rank. Textiles such as this are symbolic of the passage to the next world, which is seen as being below water. Note that many hinggi are used as shrouds, and are often woven with this particular use in mind. To be suitable as a shroud a hinggi must be dyed in natural colours.
Background: Chapters on Sumba and East Sumba.
Published: Ikat Textiles of the Indonesian Archipelago, 2018.
Sources: Jill Forshee, Between the Folds, source of information on the symbolic value of aquatic animals: 'Aquatic and amphibious creatures such as shrimp (kura mbiu), crayfish (kurangu), turtles (kara), snakes (kataru), and crocodiles (wuya) relate to noble ranks, denoting qualities such as cunning, bravery, dualistic powers, and transformation to the next world (awangu).'
  
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