Sumba Lions on Deep Indigo

The blue that is achieved on this cloth is the mark of a master indigo dyer who has repeatedly dyed her threads to achieve this deep blue black.

The village of Hama Parengu where this cloth is made maintains its animistic ties to the Marapu or ancestral beliefs – still following the traditional ways of caring for the land and maintaining strong social ties.

The interlinking star motif kandunu mapa kelung denotes social status. The lion or mahang motif is derived from the image of rampant lions found on Dutch coins. It represents power and bravery. The deer or ruhu pattern symobolizes high caste.

Information about the makers will be supplied with each cloth.
Warp ikat, single panel, commercial cotton, open fringe, natural dyes. Ikat tied, dyed and woven in Sumba, 2019. Size 315 x 58 cm / 124 x 23 in