This woven ‘kain limar’ (shoulder cloth) has a dark red centrefield with repeated stylised floral and geometric motifs. This cloth was woven using the ‘weft ikat’ technique where silk weft threads are tied and dyed and then woven horizontally across the loom. Weft ikat were among the earliest types of textiles that was influenced by Indian textile traditions. They were produced in coastal regions along the maritime trade routes in Southeast Asia. They were usually associated with the courts where they were presented as gifts and worn by the aristocracy and wealthy elites.
