tribaltextiles.info

I recently acquired this textile and I have tried but have been unable to determine what it is.

I thought it might be Indonesian, Indian or Thai because of the Motif.

Please help!

Jon

[I have resized the images to the requested forum maximum width of 600 pix so that they are easier to view do not distort reading of the thread. Admin]

Hi Jon,

It's Indonesian - from Sumatra and, in my opinion, from the Bengkulu region. The Malay name for this type of cloth is "tekat" - which refers to the embroidery technique used.

Cheers.

Thanks so much for your help Jungleboy, how old do you think it is?

Regards,

Jon

Jon - I think it would be safe to say that it's from the second quarter of the 20th century.

Hi Jungleboy-
IMHO I would be very surprised if this were that recent. In fact I would be more inclined to early 20th century based on the condition of the 'crocheted' edges, fading where sequins were detached, wear to the metal-wrapped threads, etc. Without seeing it in person to determine the materials, of course it is hard to be make a more informed guess. But the sequins look to be metal perhaps, and the condition (fading, staining, wear) would hint at something older than late 20th century. I was in Sumatra in the late 1990's and saw newly-produced goods in the market and shops, but nothing of this quality or appearance; metal-wrapped threads were a gaudy gold color (and more likely wrapped with paper foil than metal) and fabrics much brighter and a bit gaudy as well.

As for what it is...it's hard to know without knowing the size. If over 15 or 16 inches, perhaps it is a gift cover for when presenting gifts on pedestal trays. I have an old one, but it is wool and has tassels on the corners. This one is curious as it has no weighting of the edges. Similar embroidery techniques were also used for pillow ends, but they are usually fairly small, which this could also be- I have little sense of the scale, tho judging by the sequins, it might only be 12 inches or so. It would be helpful if Jon could give more information.

_________________
Susan Stem

http://www.tribaltrappings.com
http://tribaltrappings.blogspot.com/

Thanks for your input Susan!

The piece measures 19" x 19".

Thanks,

Jon

Hi Jon

Examples of the Bengkulu textiles that Jungleboy is referring to are posted elsewhere on the 'Forum' on page 4 of the discussion on palepai:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1805&hilit=lampung&start=45

Your textile is a version of a tampan, from a southern Sumatran Malay ethnic group, or perhaps Chinese Malay. As is evident from the examples referred to above, it was at least used as a food covering if nothing else. Not a pillow or pillow end. Ive seen similar ones to yours labelled from Palembang, so its possible this style was widespread amongst Malay or Malay Chinese in the southern Sumatran ports. The style is also similar to tirai and other wall hangings made in Lampung and probably elsewhere in Sumatra.

Id say pre-war, without dating it further. If you look at the back of it you might get a further clue - these are usually backed with old batik or European print fragments which seem to have been applied at the time of construction. The strips of silver-wrapped thread along the edges that Sue refers to were also widely used for Palembang pelangi. Perhaps, like the gold-wrapped thread, they were imported from China. Maybe somebody could help with literature on this subject?

Chris