Batak Ragidup or Ritual Cloth

Misty blue-grey patterning drifts down a cloth edged with red stripes and long fringe.

This ragidup, or Batak ritual cloth is Batak, from Sumatra, Indonesia, and dates to the 20th century. It is cotton. In Batak custom ulos are often given as gifts to express blessing, and the kind of cloth presented generally depends on the occasion and the relationship. A rectangular cloth with a blurred, feathery design in soft blue-grey on a darker ground and a plain black border at each side. Thin red stripes mark the ends, and long dark fringe falls at top and bottom. It is 45 inches wide.

Soft-focused, softly worn and dressed with a flourish of red.