Cleveland Museum of Art

Hinggi

Date

1800s

Medium

warp ikat; cotton

Culture

Indonesia, Sumba, 19th century

Department

Textiles

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Hinggi are large mantles woven in identical pairs, one worn around the waist and the other draped over the shoulder. As is characteristic of Sumbanese "hinggi," the design of this mantle relates to the traditional animistic religious and social structure of Sumba: the division of the cloth into horizontal bands reflects the layout of the traditional Sumbanese village, the rampant lions denote royal power, the trees of life between the cockatoos are symbols of fertility, and the geometric figure repeated across the center of the cloth is a symbol of royalty.

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