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Technique: Warp ikat, single-ply handspun cotton warp and weft (blue)
The textile has weft selvages and cut warp ends. Another example very related to this has a continuous warp. Looking at this textile closely it appears that the warps may have been cut exactly at the place where the last wefts were inserted, so I do not believe that there is a part of the original missing
The textile is composed of one section with complete weft selvages. The second section has bands of fine linear ikat divided by blue stripes. Some of these bands are very dark blue and others a medium depth blue. The ikat design is in a reddish tan color set on a purple-colored ground that is made from an overdyeing
of red and blue. The motifs are punctuated by small spots of these two colors; a light red and a light blue.
The textile has a scrolling border at either end. Two matching wide ikat bands have motifs reminiscent of ikat motifs still known among the Toraja and also in Timor. These include a head with extended earlobes, a type of "sekong", i.e., a type of figure with four limbs and a solar plexus, integrated into a spiral composition. The center bands of motifs include interlocking spirals, a continuous triangular or cone shape and a running geometric border. The curvilinear motifs are beautifully articulate the complex imagery. The use of red and blue highlights emphasizes the movement of the design.
To the best of my knowledge there are less than five other known examples or related textiles collected in Sulawesi and perhaps only ten other textiles that might be dated to before the 17th century from other areas of Indonesia. It is very rare and a remarkable discovery.
Dimensions:
Warp 81 1/2" x weft 19" ( 2.07 x 0.49 m ); mounting fabric dimensions, 3' 9 1/2" x 2' 3 1/4" ( 1.16 x 0.69 m )
The textile is lightly sewn on to a support fabric. It is shown as it would have been seen as a garment that is folded in to a circular format. It could of course be opened to show the entire length.
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