The Minangkabau are a matrilineal society - thus lineage is followed and passed along the female line. The Minangkabau woman's ceremonial dress is used to express identity, social status and important cultural values and beliefs. Minangkabau women's ceremonial dress is considerably more varied than men's with each region taking great care and pride in their particular style. The typical Minangkabau woman's ensemble will consist of a tunic (baju kuruang), tube skirt (saruang) as shown here, a waist wrap (sisampiang), shoulder cloth (salendang) and a headcloth (tengkuluak). These garments were worn with a great deal of elaborate gold jewellery.
