Named after the country in Indonesia that this stunning fabric comes from, this hand-dyed and woven piece depict the pattern of the horse and the feminine.
In Sumbanese culture, these fabrics are woven as garments to be worn by the men as a sash (Hinggi) over one shoulder and around the waist. The belief is that the wearer of these motifs is able to acquire the powers and qualities of the creatures on the textiles. In Sumbanese culture, the horse is seen as a great source of power and prosperity.
Ikat is created by dyeing the warp before the warp strings are attached to the loom, they are arranged into bundles for the dyeing process. Each bundle is tied and dyed separately so that a pattern will emerge when the loom is set up. This requires a great deal of skill, the tightly bound bundles are sometimes covered with wax or some other material that will keep the dyes from penetrating. The process is repeated several times for additional colours.
The spectacular and very famous ikat of Sumba is made of cotton hand spun, traditionally dyed with local plants (Kombu Indigo) and minerals. The pattern that is required on the cloth is knotted and bound into the warp yarn and the thread is dyed before weaving. The thread is spun from July to October, then bound for patterns until December. After the rainy season, they collect indigo plants and kombu tree leaves for dying. In summer, after harvest, women begin to weave and it can take up to one year to create one piece of textile.
The textile that this cushion is made from would have had up to 10 different people involved in its creation.
- Dimensions 38cm x 66cm
- Hand-woven cotton Ikat
- Sold with duck feather cushion pad
- All cushions are handmade and there may be irregularities and small, charming imperfections
Care: Dry Clean Only - Please keep out of direct sunlight as colours might fade
