Woman’s skirt (tapis)
1825–1875
Indonesia; Lampung province, Southern Sumatra, Abung people
Cotton, silk, striping, couching, gold and silver gimp
H. 44 in x W. 51 in, H. 111.8 cm x W. 129.5 cm
Gift of Mrs. Jesse L. Carr, 1991.40
Abung weavers displayed status with the bold use of gold- and silver-wrapped threads, sometimes completely covering the base cloth with glittering ornament. On this textile, below the shimmering threads, one can still make out wider stripes of blue cotton and multicolored stripes of red, ecru, blue and yellow cotton. To economize, the valuable metallic threads are not woven into the cloth but applied with couching — a technique of using tiny stitches to fasten the threads onto the surface of the cloth.
Archival photographs show us how skirts like this were once part of larger ensembles of textiles, headdresses, and jewelry. |
Enlarge Image