Nagas, Birds and Elephant. Traditional Dress from Mainland Southeast Asia

The new temporary exhibition at the Ferenc Hopp Museum of Asiatic Arts, Budapest, the Nagas, Birds and Elephants, presents Southeast Asian textiles from a variety of viewpoints – geographical, chronological and anthropological. Through explanations of the ritual functions of textiles and the symbology in their patterns, and examples of the different types of textiles and traditional costumes worn in the region, the exhibition aims to inform visitors about the religious beliefs, customs and celebrations of the diverse peoples of mainland Southeast Asia.

The distinctively Southeast Asian form of artistic expression can be traced through the region’s textiles. This is the “mother tongue” of art, and one of its most important embodiments. By taking a closer look at Southeast Asian textiles, and finding out more about the different varieties, how they are used, and what the symbols mean, visitors can unlock part of the mystery of how people in this distant part of the world live and think.
The show consists of over 200 exhibits: in addition to some extremely valuable and rarely seen items from Hungary’s public collections (the Ferenc Hopp Museum of Asiatic Arts and the Museum of Ethnography), the exhibition also features objects brought directly from the regions in question by private collectors and explorer-researchers.