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Bonjour à tous, Hello,

I bought this sarong in the Sikka country, Flores, in 1992. I read the Roy Hamilton's book "Gift of the cotton maiden" and saw the structure of this kind of sarong. The largest band is named by him 'ina geté. On this item, this band carries 2 patterns (details in attachment). One seems inspired from an animal (turtle ?, crab ?), and the other maybe from patola design, but I am not sure.
I would be very grateful for help with names of these 2 patterns.
Thank you very much !

Remy

Remy, I posted your question on FB and got a reply from David Richardson taken from a book published about the textiles of Flores by a late Father from the Catholic Seminary at Ledalero, Flores. With David's permission I am posting his response below for you.

David Richardson: "According to the late Father Sareng Orinbao of the Catholic Seminary at Ledalero, your skirt is an 'utang kélang korasang manu walu, with the korasang manu walu motif (kélang). The central motif in the 'ina geté consists of four chickens (manu walu) surrounding a central living tree (ai pua). The two motifs on each side are a geometrically stylised livers. In Austronesian societies, the liver not the heart is seen as the centre of the emotions - that's why the ratu examine the liver of a sacrificed chicken to foretell the future."

The book, published in 1992 by the late Father Sareng Orinbao is titled "Seni Tenun, Suatu Segi Kebudayaan Orang Flores" and is in Indonesian. Hope this helps identify the motifs on your lovely Sikka sarong.

Best regards

Hello again, If I am not mistaken the number WALU is 8 in many local languages in Indonesia and indeed we see 8 chickens (manu) not just 4 as David suggests. There are two mirror image chickens, joined at the feet with a diamond between their beaks, in each corner of the central motif making a total of VOILA 8 (WALU).

Best regards

The more I look at the motifs on either side in the main band the less they look like livers to me. I wonder if they might actually be the dissected and opened up body of the sacrificial chicken, which I believe is not plucked prior to being opened up to examine the liver which may actually be represented by the small white dot in the center of the motif. This is totally my own interpretation from looking at the motif which seems to have a head lolling to one side, a tail and feathers and legs protruding from its sides. The hexagonal lines represent the meat or ribs of the bird and there in the very center is the liver to be examined. That is just how it looks to me and doesn't come from any research or info in the book, which I don't have. I have plucked and dressed many a chicken, pheasant, quail and turtledove however and find the motifs similar.

Best regards

Thanks a lot, MAC, for your in-depth interpretation. It seems to me very consistent. And in this matter, it is the best. Please transmit also my thanks to David Richardson.
I am writing a book in French, named at this time "Ikats, tissus de vie, un voyage de l'Orient à l'Occident" to be published in 2017. I'll mention off course your contribution and this forum.

Best regards.

Remy

Manu Walu = Manuk Walu ( literally : eight birds ) in traditional Javanese language, itself being rooted to some degree in Sanskrit ....which ( along with other ancient Indian cultural and design elements such as the patola) supposedly came to Indonesia with the Majapahit empire, the influences even spreading to the easternmost islands.

Remy, You are welcome and if there is anything else the forum can help you with please feel free to post textiles and questions. Good luck with your book!!

Best regards