Textiles of Southeast Asia. Robyn Maxwell
A wide, two-panel, rich red-brown shawl worn by the Lords of the Earth (mosalaki) of central Flores. The sections of the warp intended to be the fringe have been carefully protected from contact with the dyes, and remain white. While the designs of many of these shawls were inspired by Indian trade textiles, this particular pattern seems to represent the linked genealogical figures found on many Southeast Asian warp ikat fabrics. Early twentieth century
tapis inu woman's ceremonial skirt Paminggir people, Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia handspun cotton, silk, natural dyes warp ikat, embroidery 121.8 x 126.5 cm Australian National Gallery 1989. 1490
This type of Paminggir woman's skirt is highly unusual because the design in the central embroidery band can only be read clearly when the textile is turned on its side (that is, not as it is intended to be worn). A row of finely worked and highly stylized human figures appear, each crowned with an elaborate curling head-dress. While these are ancient motifs, the rich red warp ikat field that flanks the silk embroidery has been strongly influenced by imported Indian trade textiles. Nineteenth century
tau pahudu woman's skirt Sumbanese people, east Sumba, Indonesia handspun cotton, natural dyes supplementary warp weave, staining, embroidery 155.0 x 58.5 cm Australian National Gallery 1984.617
This finely worked skirt was made by a member of a royal family in east Sumba. The foundation weave has a subtle black-on-black supplementary warp pattern in the top section and is joined to the lower panel with red-orange embroidery. The same colours appear in an added fringe. Though made in the twentieth century, the cloth contains motifs that have been used for many generations, including skull trees and human figures carrying lizards on shoulder poles. On most eastern-Indonesian cloths human figures are depicted in a two-dimensional form, although on rare Sumba examples like this one, a three-dimensional effect is achieved by the addition of ribs and shading through staining sections of the thick white supplementary warps after weaving.
subahnalé sacred cloth Sasak people, Lombok, Indonesia handspun cotton, natural dyes supplementary weft weave 111.0 x 42.0 cm Australian National Gallery 1986.2113
Until recently figurative Sasak textiles did not exist in museum collections. In present-day central Lombok, Sasak weavers make supplementary weft textiles containing figures in the style of Balinese shadow-puppets, sometimes using metallic thread. However, the Sasak still distinguish between the routine weaving of these modern cloths and the careful rituals that were required in the past to create a textile they refer to by the term subahnalé. For those cloths, a small ceremony was performed and the weaving occurred in a special place where a woman remained undisturbed. On this example, simple figures with arms outstretched are separated by triangular structures. Like all sacred Sasak cloths, the cotton thread and dyes are entirely locally produced. The dominant colours are black and brown against a cream ground, with narrow green stripes as highlights between each band of figures. Early twentieth century
It is often a shaman who uses the sacred quality of beads to full advantage. A curious beaded jacket (thap suang) is worn by the performers during the manor a dance drama in southern Thailand.71 This drama, while loosely based on Jataka Buddhist tales from India, also appears to re-enact an ancient ritual where the manora master is the pre-eminent shaman whose magical powers were called upon for exorcisms, ordinations of priests, topknot-cutting ceremonies, funerals, weddings and temple fairs. It seems that the function of this dance is to make an offering (kae bon) to placate a particular spirit who has granted a request (Ginsburg, 1975: 69-73). The tua nora can also use his powers to curse others, particularly rival nora, and to this end every tua nora wears protective charms arid amulets, including these mysterious beaded vests with ancient, diamond grid patterns.
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Where relationships are defined by family membership, the ritual leaders who intercede with the spirits and deities are often prominent clan elders and the donning of particular garments, such as the large shawls of the Lio of central Flores, transforms the situation into one of portent. The Lords of the Earth are responsible for important decisions affecting the life of the community, such as pronouncements about the opening of the agricultural season. In these cases, leaders make magical use of heirloom textiles and other paraphernalia such as special betel-nut pouches.
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Offerings to spirits and deities are an important facet of ritual and textiles are often included in these rites. Balinese offerings, which are set out as clothing for the gods (rantasan), contain textiles chosen for their sacred qualities and their suitability of colour. In Java the tie-dyed kain kembangan are offered to the gods as ritual gifts. Iban offerings are covered with the finest pua kumbu textiles and the Toraja make offerings of sacred ma 'a to the spirits that are responsible for securing fertility and safety for their villages and fields (Crystal, 1979: 58). In the Ngada region of Flores, it is customary at the completion of a successful harvest to cover a portion of it with fine cloths during the subsequent celebrations.
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Given the antiquity and centrality of beliefs in ancestors and spirits and their apparent depiction in prehistoric art, it is not surprising that supernatural beings have secured an important place in textile iconography. Throughout Southeast Asia, gods, spirits and ancestors are widely depicted in anthropomorphic form. Sometimes, however, the style of these motifs is so schematic that their real meaning is not immediately apparent, and may not even be understood by present-day weavers. This problem is evident on many Iban textiles, particularly on older style pua where the anthropomorphic forms are concealed within the rhomb and hook patterns. Exact identification is only possible by experienced older weavers, and only by those women who still use these designs on their own textiles.
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While some Iban weavers are still able to identify particular gods and spirits among the twists and curves of the patterns produced by ikat and weft-wrapping techniques, the meaning of both realistic and stylized representations of the anthropomorphic form are more problematic in other Southeast Asian cultures. It is possible that both the human figures and other more schematic shapes found on many textiles represent supernatural beings. The oldest realistic representation of the human body on textiles presents a full frontal view, standing or squatting. Strength is conveyed in the stance, usually with feet apart and arms raised, although the bold 'hands-on-hips' pose is also an ancient representation. Compelling anthropomorphs, either in isolation or as figures within larger figures, appear on various types of Timorese textiles. On the méo ritual warrior's head-dress, such figures may have been intended to invoke the protection of particular spirits. In south Sumatra, extremely stylized linked figures appear as a dominant motif on one specific banded type of palepai, while other palepai and tampan are filled with more realistic, solid, frontal images.
ilaf vilu bokof (?) ceremonial regalia of a ritual warrior Tetum people (?), south Belu region, Timor, Indonesia handspun cotton, natural dyes tapestry weave, twining, supplementary weft wrapping 29.2 x 69.4 cm Australian National Gallery 1982.2294
Figurative motifs are sometimes found on the small headbands, belts and decorative regalia of the méo warriors. Details such as five-fingered hands and body decoration suggest that these are stylized depictions of human figures. The mirror image of the design may be merely decorative or it may have been intended to symbolize copulation. Since traditional warfare was associated with fertility and potency, this would be an appropriate motif on the costume of ritual war leaders. Red and orange weft threads appear against a dark blue ground. Late nineteenth or early twentieth century
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