Tapis Sarong

Tapis were made in Lampong in southern Sumatra to be used as sarongs and are combined of two horizontal panels sewn together to form a larger square. They are made of silk and cotton in a tight weave in a linear design of natural dyes of mostly earth tones with blue often included. Onto this ground embellishments are added in a variety of forms, mostly of shiny nature such as metallic thread, pieces of mirror or mica and colorful silk.

The metallic thread is embroidered to the ground in a couching technique with thinner thread so as not to damage the ground material and maximize visibility. The motifs of those forms vary, including zoomorphic shapes, alphabet letters, flowers and farm animals, all according to the wearer’s village and clan affiliation.

Tapis sarongs are still used for religious, wedding and welcoming ceremonies. They tend to be opulent as the Lampung people were wealthy traders that benefited from their location along the maritime route to China. As evidenced in this rather outstanding and early piece they liked to display their wealth through textiles and other bodily adornments.