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East Sumba Cultural Return
Mapping and reconnecting culturally significant materials held in external collections
‹Image held by Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia; not yet cleared for display here. The record below is open.
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Ceremonial Cloth
Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia · MOA 18117V21
| Institution | Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia |
| Accession | MOA 18117V21 |
| Object type | textile |
| Date | before 1980 |
| Description | Hinggi kombu — a nobleman's ceremonial cloth dyed red with madder, made with woven warp ikat (tie-dyed) cotton. Sumbanese men wear these matching waist and shoulder cloths for ritual occasions, and use them as a shroud in death. Designs usually depict front-facing male ancestors wearing lavish jewelry and headdresses surrounded by heraldic animals (deer, horses, roosters). The central band depicts Indian patola-inspired motifs adopted as emblems by specific elite families. Colour palette indicates rank: aristocrats merited black and red added to commoners' indigo blue; golden brown reserved only for the highest born. |
| Estimated Period | Independence Era |
Cite this record: Marapu Governing Body of East Sumba, comp. 2026. “Ceremonial Cloth, Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, MOA 18117V21.” East Sumba Cultural Return, version 1.0. https://nusantara-arts.com/item/MOA-18117V21/.