Indonesian Cotton Tubular Skirt

Short woven panel in plum and indigo with a busy central patch.

This tubular skirt from Flores is from Flores, Indonesia, and dates to the 20th century. It is woven cotton. Flores is known for its hand-woven cotton textiles, in which patterns are often created by tying and dyeing the threads before weaving, a method called ikat. Rectangle of cloth made in narrow bands of blue-black, purple and dusty pink, with a central zone of small diamond-like motifs. Dark vertical stripes break the pattern, and the edges look lightly worn and soft. It is 22 inches wide and 57 long.

Quiet at a distance, very talkative up close.