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Mapping and reconnecting culturally significant materials held in external collections
Image held by Musée du quai Branly, Paris; not yet cleared for display here. The record below is open.

hinggi

Musée du quai Branly, Paris · 71.1961.15.5
InstitutionMusée du quai Branly, Paris
Accession71.1961.15.5
Object typehinggi
Datec.1920
AcquisitionAcquired 1961
CollectorMusée de l'Homme (Océanie)
Dimensions120 x 246 x 0,3 cm, 746 g
DescriptionCotton; plain weave, warp ikat. Black ground with red and white ikat decoration arranged in bands across the height of the cloth. The central section shows a rare turtle motif. Fringes. Hand-woven transverse stripe selvedge. In the lower section one can observe strange bird-like monkeys — composite forms or 'metamorphoses' common on Sumbanese hinggi. Nobility cloth — the hinggi is worn draped over the shoulders or knotted at the waist. On the death of its owner, it may also serve as a shroud. The presence of the 'kabakil' — narrow bands woven just above the fringes — signals that this hinggi was reserved for gift exchanges that allowed Sumbanese princes to maintain their rank and affirm their prestige.
Estimated PeriodIndependence Era
Cite this record: Marapu Governing Body of East Sumba, comp. 2026. “hinggi, Musée du quai Branly, Paris, 71.1961.15.5.” East Sumba Cultural Return, version 1.0. https://nusantara-arts.com/item/71.1961.15.5/.