The fabrics “of the naves of dead” or fabrics of “jonques”

The ritual fabrics the area of the extreme point from the south island of Sumatra had been the object only specific descriptions, until worms the Sixties where some ethnologist specialists in museums and collectors privileged, discovered fabrics of “jonque” or “fabrics of the deaths nave”. Many indonésians believes these textiles are ships which lead the hearts of late to the kingdom of deaths. Nevertheless, their function, the role that they fill in the company and the reasons which constitute their ornamentation are so closely associated with the same bases of the traditional indonésian life that the date of their origin must be very old.
Nous distinguerons trois sortes de tissus « à jonque » :

The “tampan” is woven cotton square, whose dimensions vary from 40 to 90 cm . The reason for the ship is woven there according to the indonésian technique additional continuous screen out of cotton wire or silk. Certain colours prevail: the chestnut, the chestnut with dominant red, yellow, beige and blue. For its reading, the edge of fabric must be held vertically.

The “palepai”: it means “ship”. Its horizontal format varies from 60 to 80 cm broad on 200 to 400 cm length. Woven like the “cotton tampan” on a chain of flax, its decoration consists of a cotton screen which forms its own reason. The ornamentation is always polychrome and the edge which borders the long sides must be held. horizontally, this time, to allow the reading of the reasons.

The “tatibin”: form the third type almost identical to the “palepai”. Its dimensions are more reduced it measures by 35 to 45 cm broad by 100 to 200 cm length. Of a work often more looked after, its scarcity makes it appreciate collectors of textiles indonésians.

Image on stand by.

These three types of weavings present nevertheless certain common characters such extreme géométrisation of the forms and the preponderance of the reason for the boat. They are carried out according to the technique of the floating screen called in Indonesian “pakan tambahan”. The material generally used for their clothes industry is cotton; however, of silk and gold wire can appear in the ornamentation. They are often called fabrics “kröe” but great number come from the province of Lampong.
The reason for the boat constitutes the central theme of weavings “Lampong”. Sign of voyage, everywhere in the world, they are symbol of an accomplished crossing either by the alive ones, or by deaths. For others, this reason would also evoke the boats on which the ancestors of the current populations arrived to Indonesia.

Jacket of marriage realized by young girls.

During the Neolithic period between 2500 and 1500 before J.C. (of the Christian will era),the groups which emigrated of Yunnan introduced the Neolithic culture into the islands of current Indonesia . Thousand years later, the megalithic period monumental left the testimony of its stones there. The descendants of those which had cut them are the “Bataks” of the contemporary island of Sumatra , the “Torajas” of Sulawesie, the tribes of Denied, Sumba and other islands.
Between VIIIème century and IIIème front century J.C a migratory new wave of the Vietnam of today brought the culture “Dong Son”. Many are the experts who think that the latter made known with the autochthones the culture of rice, the ikat, as the cast iron of bronze to the lost wax whose bronze works of this period offer ornaments to the similar or identical reasons for Chinese influences of the late dynasty of the Chou (Zhou 1122 before JC, until 256 before J) to which the successive contributions of the Hinduism are added, of Buddhism, later of Islam, without forgetting the influence of Java, maritime power under the reign of Majapahit (1294-1520) as well as the print of the centuries of Portuguese colonial domination and Dutch.

Detail of Carpet, weaves additional, gold wire and small mirrors

The significance of the boat is paramount for Indonesia which includes/understands a great number of islands and for the inhabitants of which navigation constitutes a very important activity. This central reason is in the foreground a symbol of transitions. Compositions often extremely charged, the bottom is filled of a multitude of streamers, sunshades, flag connected by geometrical figures. On the bridge, one finds the same reasons to which are added architectural forms, small characters, trees, small boats, surmounted of a rider, the elephant (symbol of immutability, prosperity and power), the buffalo (which symbolize the fertility) and the horse (often regarded as associated with dead).

One also finds the spiral and the reason for the key of influence Dong song. One of the most widespread reasons is the triangle decorated with the tupal, this reason appeared as of the Neolithic era in Indonesia symbolizes fruitfulness and the fertility. According to certain authors, it would be about a growth of bamboo: great strength, representation of an ancestor. Difficult to know, because of stylization if the reason is decorative or of an object.

Held by certain companies, clans or families determined, these weavings still nowadays fill a big role in many traditional ceremonies in relation to the birth, agriculture, the death and the majority of the rites of passage of an individual towards a new section of life, a new social status; however the passage of a statute with another symbolically implies the death of this character followed by his rebirth in new form.

Carpet, additional screen out of gold wire, reasons tupals and rhombuses.  

At the beginning of the 20th century, a great number of ceremonies which punctuated the social life were prohibited by the local governments which considered them too expensive: sacrifices of many buffaloes and circulation of an incredible quantity of goods including/understanding in others fabrics being subject of this study.

this possible that long, difficult and expensive manufacture that the clothes industry of its fabrics implied was abandoned little by little.

It is important to stress that textile art Indonesian - Ikat, double Ikat, Tampan, Palepai in particular, as Batik concerns the transmission of elements born of most remote human creativity.

Art secular but as alive as the cave paintings of Alta Mira ( Spain ), it touches us as much as the large contemporary works of art.