Ancient Customs, Ancient Stories

September 22, 2008-October 31, 2008
Location: Bridge Gallery

The textiles of Lampung, a province of Indonesia at the southern tip of Sumatra, are justly famous. In particular, long ceremonial hangings (pelapai) and square ceremonial cloths (tampan) present complex patterns and imagery, sometimes even mysterious pictorial tableaux. They have not been made since the earliest years of the 20th century.

Described by generations of foreign ethnographers and collectors as "ship cloths," they were sometimes said to represent the "ship of the dead." No convincing field data were ever collected from 19th century weavers or traditional owners about the iconography. Since then, there has been great loss of Lampung traditional knowledge.

Exhibit Information Flyer (.pdf)
Curator: Garrett & Bronwen Solyom
For info: call (808) 956-2849 or emailbrons@hawaii.edu

Held in conjunction with the 11th Biennial Symposium of the Textile Society of America at Hamilton