3. Antique Lembata Woman's Bridewealth Tubular Skirt 1

Product Description

3. Antique Lembata Woman’s Bridewealth Tubular Skirt 1

Material: Handspun cotton, silk,
Style: Lembata, Indonesia
Size: Length 153 cm, Width 64 cm
Order Number: MHSALLWBTS1

Lembata is a small island just off the eastern coast east of Flores in the Lesser Sunda islands, formerly known as Lomblen island. It is the largest island in a small group, which share a culture known as Lamaholot.

The villages around the Ili Api volcano on the north coast of Lembata have produced some of Eastern Indonesia’s finest weavers. They supplied the interior and Kedang in the east with ceremonial textiles, especially bridewealth cloths, which displayed their highest skills.

Bridewealth cloths are part of the complex gift exchange that takes place at marriage and continues throughout the couple’s life. Textiles are from the wife’s family.

They must be made from locally produced handspun cotton and natural dyes. Morinda citrifolia producing dark red and indigo producing dark blue purple are the main dyes.

The patterns in the bands are striking and balanced. The number of bands is always uneven.

The designs for Kedang, such as this one, are different from the others, with plain, bold, deep indigo central panels with narrow bands of elegant ikat and small stripes of yellow silk thread

There is a similar example in Textiles of Indonesia, The Thomas Murray Collection, Prestel 2021, page 385.

Map of Lembata.