Technique: Resist and mordant dyed handspun cotton.

Description: Two similar panels with a solid blue center and ends. Each panel has nine pairs of sirih leaves and in the center four long palms with leaves and fruit at their tops. The background is filled with an overall motif of a half circle enclosing vertical lines all going the same direction. This background design resembles the Javanese batik semen pattern. The Toraja people of Sulawesi call this a daun bolu or sirih leaf cloth and it is hung for the merok ceremony. The merok ceremony is both a thanksgiving ritual and an evocation for continued prosperity (see "Trade, Temple and Court"; plate 4).

One can imagine how impressive the power of this bold design and strong coloration would be when it was hanging across the front of an imposing Toraja lineage house.

Condition: Small holes throughout have been repaired

Dimensions: 35 3/4" H x 12' 11" L ( .91 x 3.94 m )

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