Ceremonial textile (tampan) with five registers of designs

Indonesia’s long history of maritime trade and the immense wealth that it brought are embodied in the remarkable textiles of the Lampung region of southern Sumatra. Lampung is situated on the western side of the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Suatra and has been a vital trade route since ancient times. The region is known for its black pepper, which historically was highly valued in the spice trade and is still produced there today. The cosmopolitan influences resulting from Lampung’s strategic location are evident in its ritual textiles. The two most abundant types are tampan and palepai which incorporate imagery that predominantly depicts stylized ships, outside Indonesia, these are often referred to collectively as ‘ship’s cloths.’

This is a highly innovative example of a genre of ceremonial textile known as tampan, or ‘ship’s cloth.’ The central vessel, woven in bold red, appears to be moving through the water and this sense of life and animacy is reinforced by the series of straight bands with upturned ends at the fore and aft of the vessel. The small figures that stand silently and motionless on deck in the lower half of the panel, to either side of the ship’s bulky hull in the water, are in stark contrast to the upper registers which include lively designs of fantastical creatures mounted by small figures, picked out in red and blue and embellished with intricate woven details in cream and white.