Sarong

Title
Sarong
Year/Period
Late 19th-early 20th century
Region
Terengganu, Malay Peninsula
Dimension
Object size: L:198.0 x W:104.0
Accession No.
1997-04210
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Andy Ng

The sarong is a tubular garment that is worn around the lower body. This sarong was made using the weft ikat technique, where the horizontal threads are tied-and-dyed before the fabric is woven. The central panel, known as the ‘kepala’ would have been worn at the front by women. This panel, woven in gold supplementary weft weave (‘songket’), features rows of elongated triangles, or the ‘tumpal’ design. Such triangular ornamentation was popularised by its usage on the prestigious Indian trade cloths.