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048 Solor Archipelago, Lembata
Kewatek (sarong)
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| Locale: | Lamalera; whalers community. Lamaholot people. |
| Period: | 19th or very early 20th c. |
| Panels: | 3 |
| Design: | Kewatek nai telo, three panel sarong decorated with motifs that, according to local informers, represent the famous whalers' prahus (peledang) which have sails made of woven pandanus or palm strips, and for acceleration in the hunt are also equipped with long oars. Other motifs represent sting rays (ikan pari), and human figures (ata cliken).The design is executed in three shades of rust red, with narrow bands in dark indigo, sand brown and violet. |
| Size: | 103 x 185 cm (40.5 x 72.8 in) |
| Yarn: | Cotton, hand-spun, coarse |
| Comment: | The motifs stand out well from the background and the weaving is relatively tight, compared to the majority of the weavings produced in this village. Human figures are rarely seen on Lembata ikat. As for the interpretation of the motif as depicting peledang, this may be a Lembatan interpration of a motif found throughout Lembata which may shows the rigging of a vessel that plays a vital role in myths of origin. It is a historical fact that the people of Lamalerap are relatively recent arrivals on the island. |
| Background: | Additional information in chapters on Solor Archipelago and Lembata. |
| Published: | Woven Languages, 2014.
Ikat Textiles of the Indonesian Archipelago, 2018.
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| Compare: | 047 115 131 119 126 |
| Sources: | Similar bridewealth sarong, with similar structure but with another type of motif in the central panel (patola-based rather than figurative) in Khan Majlis, Indonesische Textilien, Wege zu Goettern und Ahnen, p.92. |
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 ©Peter ten Hoopen, 2025
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