Title
Waistcloth
Year/Period
Late 19th-early 20th century
Region
Aceh, North Sumatra
Dimension
Object size: L206.5 x W78 cm
Accession No.
1997-04526
Collection of
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Andy Ng
This piece of textile is decorated with arrowhead-like motifs in black and white against the red ground weave. It was patterned using ‘warp ikat’ technique, where the vertical threads are tied and dyed before the fabric is woven. Aceh is one of the few places in Southeast Asia where warp ikat was still being used after the introduction of silk thread. It has been suggested that textiles similar in colour and design were woven in the Batak region of north Sumatra to be used as ceremonial baby carriers.
