Toraja Tunic / Jacket with Crab Motifs

Crabs march across the shoulders and three small figures hold hands below.

This tunic or jacket with crab motifs is Toraja, from Sulawesi, Indonesia, painted in pigment. Toraja communities are known for symbolic textiles and carved wood, in which animal and human figures often carry meaning that varies by region and context. On a brown ground, eight crabs with raised claws appear in rows on the chest, outlined in black and dark red. Three figures in conical hats stand hand in hand near the hem. Stripes in blue and maroon trim the neckline and arms, and lines of crossed stitches and diamonds run across the middle and the base. It is 37.5 inches wide and 29.5 long.

The crabs look entirely at ease on a garment.