Man's shoulder or hip cloth, hinggi, East Sumba, Indonesia. Warp ikat. Early 20th c. Masterpiece of ikat weaving, most likely from Kenatang given the refinement and intricacy of its patterning: a patola-inspired design, patola ratu, reserved for royalty. An established traditional type, though rare. While we often see patola ratu in the midsection (the part that touches the shoulder) of hinggi, it is far more rare to see the pattern extend over the whole cloth. The earliest known of such true 'patola hinggi' date from the late 19th, but use of pattern is probably much older as it is a direct emulation of Gujarati patola, which began to enter the courts of Indonesia in the mid 17th, when the voc imported them in intentionally limited numbers to buy the loyalty of local chiefs. Transverse woven border, kabakil, and twisted fringes. Immaculate state of conservation with all colour preserved, fully intact.