Sumba Ikat (Hinggi)

There are two distinct groups of Sumba ikats. Western Sumba ikats are abstract while eastern Sumba skates, like this one, are pictorial. Man’s hip cloths, or hinggi, would be worn for special ceremonies and events.

Sumba ikats are made from hand spun, naturally dyed cotton. The process could take up to a year to complete. First the cotton is spun from July to October, then bound for dying in December. After the wet season, the cotton would be dyed and then woven in the summer. Genuine ikat consists of only two colors – blue from indigo, and red from the Mengkudu tree. Blue and red are used together to create additional colors such as brown, purple, and black.

This hinggi is comprised of two panels sewn together vertically. It has floral and abstract elements scattered throughout the ground. The main images are of a human, likely a reference to an ancestor, flanked by pairs of dragons and vines. Above them is a row of local birds, both standing and flying.