Indonesian Songket Shoulder Cloth

Folded cloth in grape purple with gold patterning pooled at one side.

This songket shoulder cloth is from Sumatra, Indonesia, and dates to the 20th century. It is cotton & gold. Songket is a brocade woven on a loom with extra metallic or colored weft threads floated over the base cloth to build up glittering patterns. Rectangular textile folded in half, in deep plum with a loose, handwoven texture. Metallic gold-colored motifs form a star-like panel at the left and a dense band of small repeating figures along the right. Fringe frays along the bottom edge. It is 15.5 inches wide and 58 long.

Plum color, gilt manners, and a touch of fringe.