Media Information

 
 
 
Collection:
Museum and the Online Archive of California
Creation Place:
Flores Island
Creation Place:
Indonesia
Creation Place:
Sikka
Title:
Textile; sarong; woman's clothing. Indonesia
Materials:
handwoven
Materials:
warp ikat
Materials:
handspun cotton
Materials:
fabric
Dimensions:
145.0 cm by 122.0 cm
Current Location:
Fowler Museum of Cultural History. University of California, Los Angeles.
Address:
Los Angeles, California 90095-1549
Object ID:
UCLA FMCH X86.3983
Subject:
- floral bird
- handwoven warp ikat handspun cotton fabric
Heading:
Content/Description
Notes:
REMARKS COMPILED IN 1987 BY ROY HAMILTON ON BASIS OF EXISTING RECORDS, EXAMINATION OF OBJECT, AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE: Consists of two panels sewn together warpwise. This cloth was probably once sewn together at the ends to make a tube sarong, but it has now been opened flat and hemmed at both warp ends and one selvage. Handspun(?) cotton thread. Natural dyes: Morinda citrifolia for red-brown and indigo for blue-black. The yellow and green stripes may be commercial dye, but dyers in Sikka are also capable of making bright colors with natural dyes, such as a bright green from mango bark [Roy Hamilton, field notes, 1985]. Thread count: warp 56 e.p.i. (double yarn); weft 25 e.p.i. From the Sikka domain, near the town of Maumere in east central Flores. Photos illustrating the range of traditional Sikka motifs can be found in Majlis 1984:265-268; it would appear that this floral motif is a more recent inovation. The various steps of textile production in Sikka are illustrated in the literature, including spinning [Fischer 1979:37], dyeing [Gittinger 1979:173] and weaving [Fischer 1979:68]. For a general discussion of the distribution of Florinese weaving styles, see Maxwell 1980:141-154. Cloths in Sikka serve as family heirlooms and as marriage exchange goods. Cloths with uncut warps, as they are taken from the continuous-warp back-tension loom are the most highly valued for this purpose. Once a cloth has been made into a sarong, it would serve as daily wear for many Sikkanese women; however, newer and high quality sarongs are reserved for best dress occasions, particularly attending church on Sundays. The manner of wearing these sarongs is illustrated in Gittinger 1979:59.
Heading:
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Notes:
Maxwell, Robyn J. 1980. "Textile and Ethnic Configurations in Flores and the Solor Archipelago". In INDONESIAN TEXTILES, Mattiebelle Gittinger (ed.), Irene Emery Roundtable on Museum Textiles 1979 Proceedings, Washington D.C., The Textile Museum.
Collection Description:
METS ID:
ark:/13030/ft7q2nb51 v

Textile; sarong; woman's clothing. Indonesia