Rare old ceremonial hand spun hand woven black hemp textile loin cloth, Protective royal ancestor motif guarded by marine animals, Embroidery is hand twisted bark rope fiber twine. Melolo Village Sumba Indonesia

Rare, old ceremonial handspun handwoven hemp textile loin cloth. Protective warrior ancestor motif that represents a royal ancestor guarded by snakes and marine animals. Created out of hand twisted bark rope fiber twine.

Measures: 43" x 15.5"

It was woven by hand on a narrow back strap loom and embroidered afterwards and features motifs that are associated with royalty in Sumba. On the remaining photos you see tools used in the cotton textile process and a container with partitions filled with items used in the natural pigments dyeing process.

 This is a wonderful art form and the Sumbanese pride themselves greatly for their amazing textiles inspired by the Merapu ancestral spirits, nature and animals. These textiles fulfill several functions in society besides being worn. As family heirlooms, they play a prominent role in the ritual exchange of gifts and, most important, in funeral rites.

 All of our collector and rare items come with pages and pages of research about provenance, and with history of the tribes and photos as well, depending on item and whenever possible. When shipping internationally, we group ship multiple purchases to save you money, and find the best rates available. 

All our textiles come with research and photos and we have others available as well.

 We have Hand carved Textile Hanging Display Bars available, created by hand especially for these decorative textiles in case you want to hang this precious collectible on the wall which creates a rich and outstanding designer look.