Putih Doh - diaphenous and romantic silk treasuresThe National Gallery of Australia and the Yale University Art Gallery have in their collections, respectively, one and two 19th c. or earlier shawls in silk weft ikat with patola-inspired designs called limar or kumbut jungga, which are similar to those made in Palembang and Komering. They are attributed to Putih Doh, a village with a shallow water port on the southwestern coast of Lampung. No silk ikating appears to have ever taken place in Putih Doh, but its port was a vital transport hub in the pepper trade which made its inhabitants quite wealthy, allowing them to order silks from other parts of Lampung and perhaps also from Trengganu, Malaysia. They manifest a refined taste and in most cases, including our example, avoided the glittering addition of songket - the better to appreciate the subtle patola-inspired and richly detailed patterning, and the delicate shades in the field. The finest example in the NGA's collection, dating from the 19th c., has a vibrant patola-inspired field in red, blue, green and purple that was presumably created by overdying red with indigo. Another fine specimen, presumed to be 19th or early 20th c., is in the Georges Breguet collection. It shows an array of lozenges created by stippling in white—using ten-thread-wide pixels—with touches of supplementary weft. The grid of the array was emphasised by dyeing it a lighter shade of red. Where the same tone is used with less saturation the grid stands out against the dark apricot of the field in a light peach. The overall appearance is dreamy and unabashedly romantic.  Putih Doh limar in the Yale University Art Gallery, 19th c. or before, ILE2006.4.247. Map showing Putih Doh on west coast of southern Sumatra Early 20th c. Dutch map showing Putih Doh (Poetih Doh) as a relatively important port. |
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