Textile made using the ikat technique

Southeast Asian Collection

Accession Nr.: 82.7.1
Type: textile; costumes; textile arts
Date of production:
mid-20th century
Place of production:
Materials/Techniques: cotton, ikat
Dimensions: height: 252cm
width: 138 cm
In Sumbanese: hinggi. The narrower, outermost band repeated four times features pairs of horses, symbols of wealth, facing each other, with hens and fish lined up between them. The wider band that follows, repeated one more time, contains crabs, birds, and small stylised "skull trees" (in Sumbanese: andung), reminders of the ancient practice of head hunting. The aquatic creatures visible on the hinggi always symbolise high social status and fortune. The central band is covered in abstract motifs.