Sulawesi's Morinda Threads

A cloth like this sekomandi from Sulawesi will take up to six months to complete with a single woman overseeing all aspects of the work, tying motifs onto threads from memory, dyeing the threads and weaving. All while she continues to take care of her family and work in the fields to bring home food. The sale of these textiles represents a significant source of income for these weavers. Sekomandi textiles are used to decorate the traditional houses during ceremonies as a sign that the entire ritual cycle had been performed such as weddings.

The primary motif on this textiles is called tosso’ balekoan, which represents a niddy noddy used for making skeins of yarn after being spun from cotton fibers into thread.

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, 2024. Size 217 x 130 cm / 85.5 x 51 in