Man’s shoulder or hip cloth (hinggi) with large-scale skull trees with serpents
This remarkable hinggi is in excellent condition and features finely executed designs organized symmetrically around a single band at the center. Iconography includes large-scale pohon andung (skull tree) designs replete with highly animated skulls and anthropomorphic ancestral figures with raised hands and outward facing feet, the details of their chests and ribs clearly delineated. The powerful habak (or ‘radiating core’) motif at the center creates a potent focus from which the highly animated designs flow. These include prancing deer, their front legs and powerful tails raised. Large sections at each end of the cloth feature fantastic clawed dragons with deer antlers, the details of their scaly skin clearly skillfully delineated in the woven surface of the cloth.
Artwork Details
- Title: Man’s shoulder or hip cloth (hinggi) with large-scale skull trees with serpents
- Date: late 19th–early 20th century
- Geography: Indonesia, Sumba Island, East Nusa Tenggara
- Culture: Sumba Island artist
- Medium: Cotton, natural dyes
- Dimensions: Including fringes: W. 41 3/4 in. × L. 9 ft. 4 in. (106 × 284.5 cm)
- Classification: Textiles
- Credit Line: Gift of Eric Moskal, 2021
- Object Number: 2021.439.9
- Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Ngada artist
late 19th–early 20th century
Sumba Island
ca. 1910
Sumba Island
early to mid-20th century
Sumba Island
early to mid-20th century
Kodi people
early 20th century
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.