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132 Timor, West Timor
Beti naek (men's wrap)  
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| Locale: | Maubesi, a market village between Insana and Kefamenanu. |
| Period: | 1935-1950 |
| Yarn: | Cotton, hand-spun, medium |
| Technique: | Warp ikat |
| Panels: | 2 |
| Size: | 105 x 198 cm (3' 5" x 6' 5") LW: 1.89 |
| Weight: | 1080 g (38.1 oz), 519 g/m2 (1.70 oz/ft2) |
| Design: | Narrow bands of red and indigo, the widest showing stylised buaya (salt water crocodiles).Note the asymmetry of the overall design: of the three red stripes running through the middle of the cloths, one is on the left panel, two on the right panel - in a manner (shifting part of the warp from one panel to the other) that is sometimes called the 'Savunese style', and seen also on the off-off-shore island Ndao. Asymmetry is also seen on the relatively nearby Ambenu semi-exclave, but there is a way that is less reminiscent of Savu, with its structure of numerous narrow bands running in parallel. |
| Comment: | Attractive men's blanket with strong crocodile motif, expressive of name of locale, 'besi' meaning crocodile in local Dawan language. A subtle asymmetry that is uncommon in the area. Excellent, tight weaving. All hand spun and natural dyes. No signs of wear, perfect condition. Yet the skatol smell of decomposing indigo indicates a fairly advanced age. |
| Background: | Chapters on Timor and West Timor. |
| Exhibited: | Timor: Totems and Tokens, Museu do Oriente, Lisbon, 2019/20. |
| Published: | Timor: Totems and Tokens, 2019.
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| Compare: | 094 248 |
| Sources: | Specific provenance (based on striping pattern and crocodile/besi motif) provided by Julie Emery. Cf., Yeager and Jacobson, Textiles of Western Timor, crocodile motifs, Fig. 128n and others. |
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©Peter ten Hoopen, 2025
All rights reserved.
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ONLINE MUSEUM OF INDONESIAN IKAT TEXTILES
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