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Man's textile (hinggi ikat)
East Sumba
20th century, about 1960
Object Place: East Sumba, Nusa Tenggara (Lesser Sunda Islands), Indonesia
Medium/Technique
Cotton and dye; ikat
Dimensions
Overall: 238.8 x 101.6 cm (94 x 40 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Geneviève McMillan in memory of Reba Stewart
Accession Number2009.2771
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsContemporary Art, Africa and Oceania, Fashion and Textiles
ClassificationsTextiles
Ikat is a complex process in which threads, dyed before weaving, form the motifs in the cloth and produce intricate patterns in subtle colors. Such textiles probably circulated from Sumba to other islands for centuries, providing income for the female weavers. Here jumping horses arranged on a red background alternate with rows of snakes or dragons on an indigo background. Traditionally, these textiles were the female contribution to transactions such as marriage.
Provenance1970s, sold by Perry Kenner, New York, to Geneviève McMillan (b. 1922 - d. 2008), Cambridge, MA; 2008, to the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation, Cambridge; 2009, gift of the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation to the MFA. (Accession Date: June 17, 2009)