Indonesian Kaur, West Sumatra

Young women in the Kauer district of the western highlands of south Sumatra wear these short jackets for ceremonial occasions. There is little variation in their design yet each jacket illustrates complex and intricately worked materials. The ornament here - shells and colorful hornbill motifs - is centered on the front and back, indicating a talisman-like function of invoking good luck or protection. The fabric was woven on a backstrap or tension loom, a loom introduced hundreds of years ago from Southern China that eventually dominated weaving technique on all of the islands.