SOLD: Tampan, South Sumatra

Lampung, South Sumatra
Cotton, natural dyes, supplementary weft
Circa late 19th century
Height: 67.3 cm / 26½”; width: 63.5 cm / 25″

Fine weaving representing a large stylized bird ‘pregnant’ with a smaller bird, surrounded by various creatures and humans stacked in a configuration resembling the mythological tree-of-life’. Birds in the Indonesian archipelago often are associated with creation myths, with omens for good and evil, and with concepts of death and resurrection. In this rendering, the bird is a reddish brown figure on a natural color cotton base.

Tampan are ritual cloths taking a central place in the ceremonial life of the Lampung region such as marriage alliances and clan celebrations as well as important life passages.