Title
Shouldercloth
Year/Period
First half of the 20th century
Region
Batak, North Sumatra
Object Type
Material
Technique
Dimension
Object size: 199.0 x 71.5 cm
Accession No.
2018-01045
Collection of
Credit Line
Gift of Regina Maria Bekker-Zeef. Presented to the ACM by the City of Delft, Netherlands.
Batak shouldercloth or ulos are worn wrapped around the shoulders. The blue and white chevron suggests that this cloth, which is finished with an uncut fringe, was probably from the Silindung region. Design varies between tribe and region but follows a set of principles and structure. Ulos were used in bridal exchanges where the groom's family would return the textile gift with 'hard' objects such as knives, jewellery, and silver or brass boxes.
