Indonesian Palepai or Ship's Cloth

Three tiers of stylized houses and figures march down a long narrow cloth.

This palepai, or ship's cloth, of woven cotton is from Sumatra, Lampung, Indonesia, and dates to the 20th century. Ship cloths of Lampung were traditionally displayed at important life events such as weddings, and their imagery is often read as a reference to journeys between worlds. Long narrow woven textile with stacked horizontal panels. Each shows a building with a tiered roof and rows of tiny figures and motifs in blue, red and cream on a sand ground. Plain bands separate the panels, and the edges are slightly frayed. It is 17 inches wide and 43 long.

An entire village, patiently woven into one strip.