This textile is an example of a shal (or shawl), a small piece of cloth which was indigenous to Tanimbar in the Maluku Islands. Tanimbarese women wear the shal over their shoulders and is a modern-day invention which replaced the traditional practice of draping a sarong across the shoulder. Tanimbar is one of the few places in Indonesia where ikat textiles are not associated with traditional myths or magical properties, and there are no rituals or taboos associated with the production of these cloths.This shal is representative of the simplicity of designs commonly found on textiles from the Tanimbar islands. The textile is decorated with narrow bands of zig-zag patterns and stylised human figures which are distributed asymmetrically across the cloth. Tanimbar textiles were woven by women, and textile production continues to be active because such textiles are primarily used in marriage exchanges.
