97.7 x 155.6cm [weft x woven warp]; 189.0cm [warp and tassle]
The textiles woven by the Batak people were never pictorial nor
did it include recognisable figures but consisted primarily of
warp 'ikat' designs and simple geometric shapes. Specific
combinations of colours and stripes serve different talismanic
or healing functions. This example consists of a striking
arrowhead pattern in dark stripes set against a rich maroon
background and decorated with a supplementary weft weave in a
metallic yarn. Used as a carrying cloth, it would have been
presented by the maternal grandparent on the birth of their
daughter's first child. Asian Art Department, AGNSW, August 2000
Robyn Maxwell (Australia) (Author), Textiles of Southeast Asia :
tradition, trade and transformation, Canberra, 1990. Mattiebelle
Gittinger (United States of America) (Author), Splendid symbols:
textiles and tradition in Indonesia, Singapore, 1990. Mary Hunt
Kahlenberg (United States of America) (Author), Textile
traditions of Indonesia, Los Angel