Ship Cloth
Tatibin, ship cloth
South Coast, Sumatra
Cotton
Length: 90 cm, width: 40 cm
Collected before 1939
This tatibin is a ceremonial textile from the south coast of Sumatra. It is woven in cotton using a supplementary weft technique, with silver threads and colored yarns in yellow, red, blue, and green.
The main design shows a ship with a Tree of Life. The ship represents the journey between the human world and the spirit world, while the Tree of Life symbolizes continuity, fertility, and connection between realms.
Ship cloths were used during rites of passage, including weddings, initiations, and funerary ceremonies. They were important ritual objects rather than everyday textiles.
This example was collected before 1939 and is in good condition.
€ 850
