SUMBA, A DYNAMIC MYSTERY
Story and Photos by Ferry R. Tan
THE IKAT - SUMBA'S PRIDE AND JOY
Ikat weaving is done mostly in Flores, Timor, and Sumba. In Sumba, it has achieved the highest development. Here it is a cult as well as culture. The center of this kind of weaving is in the east and southeast of the island. For the Sumbanese, Ikat is firstly a traditional garment for everyday life, but it also has a ritual value as an exchange object for weddings, Marapu ceremonies and as a burial shroud: A dead person of high status can be wrapped in many Ikat cloths.
Ikat from Sumba is internationally collected and shown in museums of the world as an example of the highest quality of textile design. The patterns of Ikat are traditional and represent the village where the cloth was manufactured. In western Sumba there are more geometric patterns; in East Sumba, they have figural ornamentation like village scenes, animals, and mythical creatures. The figures have historical or religious significance. The ikat represents the way in which the current generation communicates with future generations. The pieces are deeply personal, and follow a clear, systematic pattern, but show the individuality of the weaver, and the village, in which they were made.
A hundred years ago, the Dutch exported textile from the island of Sumba. Today, large numbers are still produced by a relatively small number of women, mainly in the eastern coastal districts of the island. These clothes were made not only for export from Sumba but also for trade with people from the inland for ritual use, where the use of ikat was not allowed.
Genuine Ikat is still made with natural dyes. The blue color comes from indigo and red from a mixture of bark and roots of the Mengkudu tree. The combination of red and blue makes depending on the intensity of the 2 colors, brown, purple or black. Some Ikat has an additional yellow color from the bark of the Kayu Kuning tree. After dyeing, the threads are clamped into the loom and fixed. Deviations or inaccuracies during the setting of the frame cause different absorbency and different strain of the threads, which lead to the typical slight misalignments of the Ikat pattern.
The Ikat is a valuable piece of fabric because of the complicated production method. In the past, only high-ranking clan members were able to afford it. Nowadays production is simplified and partly mechanized. Hence old Ikat pieces have become collectibles.
Everywhere in Sumba, women are excellent weavers. There is a wide range of woven goods. Among them, there are items available that resemble Ikat, but they are not made according to the original Ikat process. They are deliberately designed to look deceptively real.
To be continued in PART THREE!!
Photography is my work
And travel is my game
They are the reason why I survive
In my Body and in my Mind
My work brings the food to my table
...and pays for my game
And my game brings the food for my soul
Therefore, I am my work and my game
Ferry R. Tan – 2020
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