Antique Sumatran Lampung Tapis Ceremonial Sarong

AGE: – Circa 1915
CONSTRUCTION: – Cotton, gold thread
DESCRIPTION: – Antique Sumatran Lampung Tapis Ceremonial Sarong
HEIGHT: – 60cm
WIDTH:– 58cm x 2 (ends sewn together) Total length 116cm
WEIGHT: – 450gms
#1600  PRICE:  – CONTACT

Hand-sown Antique Sumatran Lampung Tapis Ceremonial Sarong, Circa 1915, is a traditional hand-woven women’s tubular sarong worn by the Abung women, an ethnic group of people originating from the southernmost tip of Sumatra in the Province of Lampung. The male sarong is called “tumpal”.

This Tapis sarong is a hand-woven length of cloth made from cotton, traditionally dyed with natural pigments derived from leaves, plants and sap found in their natural environment. The Tapis is decorated with metallic gold wrapped threads attached and held in place with decorative stitches on the underside, using a technique called ‘sasab’.

The metallic gold threads form a decorative triangular pattern separated by two broad bands of gold running along the length of the cloth. The designs and colours on this Tapis sarong combine ochre, dark red, brown and blue stripes.

Colours can vary depending on the region in which the Tapis is made and can take several months to complete, depending on the complexity of the pattern and the amount of gold thread. A woman of high status would have worn this Tapis as a sarong on ceremonial occasions. These skirts/sarongs were also sometimes gifted by the family to another person to indicate their social standing in the community, and the amount of gold sewn onto the sarong was highly indicative of the family’s wealth.

Below is a close-up view of both the right and wrong side hand stitching.