Hi Sandra
Being a terrier continuing to worry this bone......
I have got out my two Toba Batak
ragidup which are from my 'Vera Tobing Collection' so I know something of their history. I have found it interesting to look at the area of warp exchange (I think you term it 'extension' for the
ragidup). The deep maroon one with central white, black and light blue warp stripes was given as an
ulos pansamot (gift from bride's parents to mother of groom) at the wedding on 27 Oct 1942 of their respective offspring
http://www.tribaltextiles.info/articles ... l/VT05.htm . The one with the bold ikat stripes in the centre was given as an
ulos tondi to the bride of that marriage, by her parents, when she was seven months pregnant with her first-born in August 1943.
http://www.tribaltextiles.info/articles ... l/VT06.htm . They were originally Silindung Valley Toba Batak families and the bride's parents lived in Huta Sisunggulon (the bride was br. Hutabarat).
I believe from what you have told me before that the wedding
ulos pansamot is the forerunner style of the
ragidup and that the newer style - with central ikat - was coming into fashion at about the time these two
ragidup were given as ceremonial textile gifts. Looking at the two textiles the older, striped centre ragidup is much finer in weaving both in the warp exchange and in the weft patterning.
What I find interesting is that, in both textiles, contrary to the example of the Simalungun
bulang, the remaining loops from the warp exchange is on the reverse face of the textile from the visible 'dotted lines'. You can also see that the sewing on of the side panels is of equal quality on both faces on the
ulos pansamot but the sewing is finer on the face with the loops (but very faint, almost non-existent dots) on the
ulos tondi.
Just as a 'by the way' the older style
ragidup looks and feels as if it has had more use. The newer style, later gift, appears as if it has had no use at all apart from the one
ulos tondi gift ceremony. That may well be appropriate for the different generations of the recipients.
I attach some images which I hope illustrate what I am saying. In each case I have doubled over one face of the textile so that both faces can be seen at once side by side. I have then reversed the process so that both faces can be seen against the other side of the textile i.e. it is thus possible to compare the seam where the side panels have been sewn to the central panel on each face. In the
bulang all the panels - centre and two borders - are woven as one textile. In the case of the
ragidup the textile is woven as three panels, the centre and two separate side panels. The two side panels are usually woven as separate pieces but at the same time on one loom.
[images to follow in next two posts....]
_________________
Pamela
http://www.tribaltextiles.infoon-line tribal textiles resource