Woman's Ceremonial Cloth (Tapis) c. 19th century

This ceremonial cloth, or Tapis, was created by Paminggir women, of Lampung, Sumatra, and is made of cotton and silk with supplementary cotton or metallic thread. Lampung tapis cloths are traditionally woven by women for ceremonial use, particularly for rites of passage, such as weddings or graduations. The imagery woven into the cloth relates to the social position of the wearer and the occasion on which it is worn. Though it is difficult to be specific about the dating of this cloth, we can say with some certainty that the conventions by which such textiles are made, exchanged, and used, were under pressure by the late 19th century, through increasing contact with global markets. Objects like this one prompt many questions: How did the intensification of trade impact local traditions of cloth-making? How do we account for the changing significance of these cloths as they move from ritual use to museum display? These are the kinds of questions that social historians of art ask. We make use of travelers’ accounts, trade statistics, and museum archives to better understand the lives of such objects.