Gail, Thanks for your ideas. Would love to see some of your textiles, especially pieces that you think are similar to the ones I posted. Timor, Lembata, Flores, Palembang; sounds very interesting! Hope you will share some of your collection with us.
I went to Timor, Lembata and Flores a number of times in the 70s and 80s and have textiles from all three areas. The hook and diamond form of the birth symbol is a very common motif on Timor. Lembata and Flores show more influence from patola than Timor does, but the birth symbol can still be found in their motifs.
Although there is a similarity in motif, the big difference would be that the textiles of Timor, Lembata and Flores are dyed using the warp ikat technique while the ones I posted are weft ikat. I don't think I have ever seen a weft ikat from Timor, Lembata or Flores.
I have been to Sumatra a number of times as well, but unfortunately never made it to Palembang. Palembang is famous for its weft ikats but is surpassed, I think, by the five color weft ikats of Bangka Island, Lampung and Malaysia.
Although the dyeing technique, weft ikat, is the same, the difference would be the fiber used. The weft ikats of Palembang, Bangka, Lampung and Malaysia are done in silk.
Where these cotton, weft ikats were produced is still a mystery. I hope someone will have pieces like these that they will share or information about such textiles in a museum collection or book about Indonesian textiles. There must be other textiles like these somewhere. Any help in finding them will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks and best regards. MAC
|