Indigo Red Ancient Pattern

This extraordinary textile from West Sulawesi is a sekomandi, which adorn traditional houses during ceremonies to indicate that the entire ritual cycle has been performed.

The primary cross-like motif is called dappu. Within it there are breaks in the pattern to remind us that within any relationship are elements that will create disharmony and separation; we need to be aware of this to avoid conflict.

A cloth such as this would take a woman weaver up to six months to complete as she manages all aspects of the process, from tying motifs onto threads from memory and dying the threads to weaving. This is all done while taking care of her family and working in the fields to bring home food. The sale of these textiles is a significant source of income for the weavers.

Information about the makers will be supplied with each cloth.
Warp ikat, two panels stitched together, open fringes, commercial cotton, natural dyes. Ikat tied, dyed and woven in Mamuju, Sulawesi, 2025. Size 202 x 129 cm / 79.5 x 51 in