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 very finely executed tampan is a rare example of the genre featuring five registers of woven designs in red and natural colors arranged in horizontal bands, each incorporating the same bold and graphic iconography and layout. Each band is notable for its balance and symmetry, organized around a notional vertical dividing line that runs down the center of the cloth. To each side are blocked sections of intricate designs that create a border or frame for each of the five scenes. Complex iconography includes animated pairs of upright figures shown standing on each side of a raised central post on the deck of a vessel. Alternating zigzag designs running from left to right create a rhythmic succession of upright and upturned ‘Vs' in which smaller vessels nestle, or which form the outlined hulls of larger vessels. The upper register of the larger vessel has an individual figure standing on deck alongside a covered canopy, the prow and stern clearly the head and tail of a large creature, which is echoed in smaller format in the upper section to the far left and right of each individual band, creating a dynamic rhythm and symmetry to the whole. Foliate designs decorate the background interior of each scene.