Enchanted Indigo Blanket

The motif on this beautiful indigo ikat blanket is called kok manu which is said to be a mythical snake with a thousand faces. It has an ability to change forms into other animals.

The Nek Mese weaver group who make cloths such as this collect cotton to spin into threads, dye these threads with natural dyes and then weave the threads into cloth using a backstrap loom. The motifs are made using a time consuming supplementary warp wrap technique called buna. A cloth like this would require six months to complete.

In Timor, textiles are used for almost all rituals: they are among the principle gifts made by the bride's family during marriage rites and function as important ritual objects in rites as varied as roof raising and rice planting ceremonies.

This textile is lovely on as a wall hanging or used as throw on the bed or over a chair or wrap yourself up in it on a chilly night.

Information about the makers will be supplied with each cloth.
Supplementary warp wrap patterning, three panels stitched together with twisted fringe, handspun cotton, natural dyes. Dyed and woven in Amanatun, Timor, 2021. Size 204 x 124 cm / 80.5 x 49 in