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Indonesia | Antique ceremonial weaving tampan
Indonesia, Sumatra, Lampung, Komering, Paminggir people, c. 1900
Handspun cotton base, supplementary weft weaving, botanical dyes
a large tampan with an imposing design executed in dark terracotta red-brown on an undyed handspun cotton base. a branching X-shaped structure dominates the design, its grand scale suggested by the small figures it holds within its spaces. a pair of anthropomorphic figures is placed beneath a domed structure at the top level, and another pair (upside down) rides a mythological creature in the lower level. Right in the centre, a standing figure is placed. Huge double hooks suggestive of a boat fit within the arms of the x, enclosing the figures. At the lower edge a pair of long-necked quadrupeds are stationed, echoed in smaller figures along the upper edges, all facing outwards.
The design of mirroring halves, vertically as well as laterally, creates an interesting near-symmetry suggestive of the upper and lower worlds, as well as a formal beauty. Rows of hooks lining the main geometric forms provide a sense of spaciousness in which the dark forms stand out forcefully. The borders framing the centrefield employ decorative geometric motifs that echo the main pattern, and create a certain delicacy that contrasts with the strong forms.
Context: Tampan, like the larger palepai, use supplementary weft as a decorative technique, where the practical need to secure the yarn to the foundation at intervals in large motifs is met by patterning the motif with intricate ribbing, cross-hatching and dotting; thus the limitations of the technique define the style and beauty of the genre (m. Gittinger, ‘South Sumatran Ship Cloths’, repr. 2010, 9). Tampan means ‘tray’; it is used as a tray cloth, a cover for ceremonial food offerings, a seat for the primary participants in a ritual and a variety of symbolic functions: a baby is laid on a tampan when introduced to its maternal grandparents, while the father’s family brings gifts wrapped in tampan. It is wrapped around its male counterpart—the metal sword or lance—carried in marriage procession, and is an essential part of a bride’s dowry, where it could number in the hundreds (r. Maxwell, Sari to Sarong, 5). Tampan darat are said to be the oldest type of tampan. Their styles “are known for tribal iconography, including trees of life and giant hornbills perched on boats.” Tampan darat were used across all levels of society, whereas tampan pasisir circulated only among the nobility. (t. Murray, ‘The Ship & the Tree’, HALI #101, Nov. 1998, 89)
The textile is in good condition for its age. There is a carefully stitched repair, a hole at a side edge and some wear overall. The red-brown is a vibrant, warm shade and the blue very vivid. The cotton is quite light, with a rough, grainy hand.
70 cm x 71 cm
Indonesia, Sumatra, Lampung, Komering, Paminggir people, c. 1900
Handspun cotton base, supplementary weft weaving, botanical dyes
a large tampan with an imposing design executed in dark terracotta red-brown on an undyed handspun cotton base. a branching X-shaped structure dominates the design, its grand scale suggested by the small figures it holds within its spaces. a pair of anthropomorphic figures is placed beneath a domed structure at the top level, and another pair (upside down) rides a mythological creature in the lower level. Right in the centre, a standing figure is placed. Huge double hooks suggestive of a boat fit within the arms of the x, enclosing the figures. At the lower edge a pair of long-necked quadrupeds are stationed, echoed in smaller figures along the upper edges, all facing outwards.
The design of mirroring halves, vertically as well as laterally, creates an interesting near-symmetry suggestive of the upper and lower worlds, as well as a formal beauty. Rows of hooks lining the main geometric forms provide a sense of spaciousness in which the dark forms stand out forcefully. The borders framing the centrefield employ decorative geometric motifs that echo the main pattern, and create a certain delicacy that contrasts with the strong forms.
Context: Tampan, like the larger palepai, use supplementary weft as a decorative technique, where the practical need to secure the yarn to the foundation at intervals in large motifs is met by patterning the motif with intricate ribbing, cross-hatching and dotting; thus the limitations of the technique define the style and beauty of the genre (m. Gittinger, ‘South Sumatran Ship Cloths’, repr. 2010, 9). Tampan means ‘tray’; it is used as a tray cloth, a cover for ceremonial food offerings, a seat for the primary participants in a ritual and a variety of symbolic functions: a baby is laid on a tampan when introduced to its maternal grandparents, while the father’s family brings gifts wrapped in tampan. It is wrapped around its male counterpart—the metal sword or lance—carried in marriage procession, and is an essential part of a bride’s dowry, where it could number in the hundreds (r. Maxwell, Sari to Sarong, 5). Tampan darat are said to be the oldest type of tampan. Their styles “are known for tribal iconography, including trees of life and giant hornbills perched on boats.” Tampan darat were used across all levels of society, whereas tampan pasisir circulated only among the nobility. (t. Murray, ‘The Ship & the Tree’, HALI #101, Nov. 1998, 89)
The textile is in good condition for its age. There is a carefully stitched repair, a hole at a side edge and some wear overall. The red-brown is a vibrant, warm shade and the blue very vivid. The cotton is quite light, with a rough, grainy hand.
70 cm x 71 cm
price:
SOLD