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Introduction

Zone of Attraction

Indonesian Textiles from the Permanent Collection
June 26 - December 6, 2009

The Indonesian archipelago straddles the Indian and Pacific Oceans-a geographic fact that has contributed to creating one of the most complex and varied textile cultures in the world today. Not only is there extensive multiculturalism within the republic's thousands of islands, these islands sit at a crossroads of trade among many other countries as well. "Zone of Attraction" presents a diverse range of Indonesian textile arts that collectively speak to this rich cultural past and present.

Each Indonesian island and region is unique in topography and climate: there are highlands, fertile tropics, inviting ports, and a host of distinctive plants and spices. Religious migration, maritime exploration, and mercantile activity beginning in the 8th century BCE have led Indonesia to become a culture of more than three hundred ethnicities and a wealth of spiritual beliefs. All of these factors have affected the making and use of cloth. Techniques such as batik, embroidery, ikat, supplementary patterning, and gilding, for example, reflect the influx of foreign contacts and assimilation.

Since the Age of Discovery, when centers for trade were established along the northern coasts of Sumatra and Java, Indonesia has been a vital junction in the global marketplace. Its history of transmigration and cultural transformation, aligned with that of the Silk Road across Asia, is suggested in the variety of techniques and aesthetics exhibited here, many deriving from India, Japan, China, the Middle East, and Europe. Sometimes the iconography and range of materials-gold, silk, cotton, shells, and mica among them-reflect indigenous ceremonial or social exchange, while at other times indicate a more recent catalyst for textile production in the region: the tourist market.

Selected Objects

Indonesian Sumbanese, Indonesia Sumba Savu

Sarong, early 1900s

Javanese, Java

Slendang (shoulder cloth or hip wrapper), early 1900s

Javanese, Java Surakarta

Dodot (hip wrapper), 1890-1910

Indonesian, Java Lasem Surakarta

Sarong, ca. 1910

Sumatran, Sumatra

Hip wrapper (kain songket), 1800s

Sumatran Malaysian, Sumatera Selatan, Palembang

Man's head cloth or turban cover (ikat kepala), 1800s

Javanese, Java

Hanging, 1900-1935

Indonesian Balinese, Bali Tenganan Pegringsingan

Slendang (shoulder cloth), 1800s

Javanese, Java, possibly Yogyakarta

Sarong, 1800s

Sumatran, Sumatra

Sarong, 1700s

Javanese, Java, Yogykarta

Long cloth (kain panjang), 1800s

Sumatran Toba Batak, Sumatera Utara

Waist cloth, ca. 1825

Indo-European Javanese Indo-Chinese, Java

Sarong fragment, 1910

Indonesian, Indonesia Lamaholot, Lembata

Dowry cloth, late 1800s

Javanese, Java

Long cloth (kain panjang), 1800s

Javanese, Java

Slendang (shoulder cloth), 1800s

Tjoateengen, signed maker

Long cloth (kain panjang), early 1900s

Javanese, Java

Batik fragment, late 1800s

Javanese, central Java

Breast cloth or offering cloth (kemben, kain kembangan), late 1800s

Indonesian Sumbanese, East Sumba

Mantle (hinggi), 1900-38

Sumatera Selatan, Palembang

Shoulder cloth and shawl (pelangi) , 1800s

Indonesian Minangkabau, Sumatra

Shoulder cloth (selendang), used as headdress, 1950

Indonesian Minangkabau, Pitalah Sumatera Selatan Bandar Lampung

Headdress, 1880-1920

Indonesian, Sumatra, North Sumatra, Aceh people

Man's jacket, ca. 1950

Indonesian Kaur, West Sumatra

Woman's jacket, early 1900s

Javanese, Indonesia Java

Hip wrapper, after 1925

Indonesian Kaur, West Sumatra

Woman's jacket, early 1900s

Balinese, Bali

Shoulder cloth (selendang), 1800s

Indonesian Javanese Indo-Chinese, Java Cirebon

Sarong, 1930-1950

More objects +

Exhibition Checklist

Zone of Attraction : Indonesian Textiles from the Permanent Collection

June 26 - December 6, 2009
View Checklist PDF

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