Indonesian

A ship, woven across a long cotton cloth from Lampung in southern Sumatra. Indonesian textiles here come from Sumatra, Bali, Java, Sulawesi, Borneo, Timor, Flores and Sumba, mostly from the 20th century. Palepai, or ship’s cloths, were hung at weddings and other rites of passage in Lampung. Batak ragidup and ulos cloths from Sumatra were given at births, weddings and funerals, and Toraja sekomandi hangings from Sulawesi are associated with funerary ceremonies.

Songket from Sumatra and Bali is brocaded with gold thread, and a Palembang selendang is tie-dyed in silk. Timor, Flores and Sumba bring ikat mantles, tubular skirts and a hinggi kombu, the Sumbanese man’s mantle, and a framed Dayak baby carrier panel dates to the 19th century. Hang a long cloth from a rod above a bed, or a songket under glass in a dining room. A good ikat looks slightly blurred on purpose, which is far harder than looking sharp.