More About the Works on View

Stretching eastward in a vast arc off the coast of Southeast Asia, the islands of Indonesia have long been renowned for the richness and variety of their textiles. Created by women and used by both sexes, textiles are produced by virtually all the diverse ethnic groups who inhabit the Indonesian archipelago from Sumatra and Bali in the west, across the vast islands of Borneo and Sulawesi, to the spice-rich islands of the east. From earliest infancy to the wrapping of the funerary shroud, life in many Indonesian societies is both literally and figuratively interwoven with textiles.

The term ikat is derived from the Malay word mengikat, meaning "to tie"—a reference to the distinctive technique used to create them, a complex process that involves tying strips of fiber around the unwoven threads of a textile before dyeing them so as to create rich and intricate patterns in the resulting fabric. Although united by a common technique, ikat textiles are astonishingly diverse in their imagery, which ranges from bold geometric compositions to figural patterns of striking visual and technical virtuosity. The sources of artistic inspiration are equally varied. Some reflect artistic influences from India, the Southeast Asian mainland, or the Islamic world. Others draw on purely indigenous aesthetics. Ikat textiles appear in diverse forms, from lavishly adorned garments, such as skirts or shoulder cloths, to monumental ceremonial textiles used to mark sacred spaces, enshroud the dead, or serve as potent symbols of their owners’ wealth and power.

The exhibition will feature works from across the Indonesian archipelago, including the subtly patterned fabrics of the Aceh region of Sumatra, recently devastated by the Southeast Asian tsunami, and the vibrant designs of the Iban women of Borneo, whose achievements at the loom were seen as equivalent to men’s exploits in battle. It will include works ranging from items of personal apparel, such as a group of luxuriously adorned tapis (women’s skirts) from the Lampung area of Sumatra, to an imposing ceremonial hanging from the Toraja people of Sulawesi, over 16 feet in length and adorned with images crocodiles and deer.

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Exhibition Organizers

"The Fabric of Life" is organized by Eric Kjellgren, the Evelyn A. J. Hall and John A. Friede Associate Curator for Oceanic Art, in collaboration with Christine Giuntini, Conservator, both in the Department of the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas at the Metropolitan Museum.

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Educational Programs

A variety of educational programs will be offered, including family programs in English and Spanish, gallery talks, and a "Sunday at the Met" afternoon on March 26, 2006. See the online calendar for a list of programs organized by date.

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