Title
Sarong
Year/Period
Late 19th-early 20th century
Region
Manado, Indonesian Archipelago
Material
Dimension
Gross measurement: 121.6 x 51.2 cm
Accession No.
2010-01307
Collection of
Credit Line
Gift of Father Robbie Wowor in memory of grandmother, Mrs Tan Tjien Sian née Tjoa Soan Tjoe Nio. Manado, Indonesia
The Sarong is a length of cloth that is sewn together at the ends to form a tube. The wearer then steps into the tube and by folding the excess cloth over itself, tightened the tube into a skirt. Sarongs were commonly made from batik textiles, where plain woven fabric is decorated using molten wax applied or drawn onto the cloth. After successive applications of wax and dye, intricate patterns and designs can be created. This piece however, shows simple square shaped geometric patterns as its main decorative motifs. It is possibly explained by the fact that it is a sarong worn by Peranakan Chinese men in Manado. Compared to the Nonya ones, these usually do not feature elaborate floral motifs or bright colours.
