Cleveland Museum of Art

Hinggi

Date

early 1900s

Medium

cotton, ikat dyed

Culture

Indonesia, Sumba, early 20th century

Department

Textiles

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Each hinggi consists of two panels stitched together down the center and often, as in this mantle, finished at either end with a band woven with supplementary warps. The geometric motif repeated across the center of this hinggi is a symbol of royalty; the rampant lions, borrowed originally from European coats-of-arms, designate royal power; the large marine shrimp signify longevity, while the Trees of Life between the shrimp symbolize fertility; and the paired deer in red bands at either end are emblems of royal privilege since the hunting of deer was, traditionally, the prerogative of the king.

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