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Kain Limar Songket, Silk Ikat, Metallic Thread, circa 1900, Palembang, Sumatra

About the Item

A rich and luxurious kain limar songket, shoulder cloth for a woman, ikat dyed and woven silk (limar) with supplementary weft woven metallic gold thread brocade (songket), circa 1900 or earlier, Palembang, Sumatra, Indonesia. This stunning textile would originally have been worn by a wealthy Minangkabau woman of high social standing. A kain limar songket is a shoulder cloth worn by a married woman. Textiles such as these were an expression of wealth and social status The heavy silk dyed a rich, deep red, featuring a central field of ikat dyed and woven geometric floral and foliate motifs in subtle shades of orange, pink, purple, and cream. The ikat design directly influenced by Indian potala cloths. Woven ikat cloth is known as limar. Surrounding the central field is a songket (brocade) border of metallic gold thread. The metallic gold thread thick and heavy, adding another level of luxuriousness to the already sumptuous cloth. The thin borders on the sides with geometric and floral motifs. The thicker borders to the top and bottom are filled with large bands of geometric flowers and leaves, a design known as bunga mahkota raja (the royal's crown). Another band features triangular shapes known as a tumpal motif. The tumpal motif is a found in many textiles from South and Southeast Asia. It has a myriad of meanings, sometimes representing the physical world in the form of leaves, teeth, wings, or mountains, and other times representing the spiritual world, in the form of stability, strength, growth, and realization. A smaller band features a wonderful long tailed birds, possibly peacocks, and flowers.
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 88 in (223.52 cm)Width: 34 in (86.36 cm)Depth: 0.07 in (1.78 mm)
  • Style:
    Tribal (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
    Metallic Thread,Silk,Hand-Woven,Ikat,Vegetable Dyed
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
    1900-1909
  • Date of Manufacture:
    circa 1900 or Earlier
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Minor structural damages. Minor fading. With some tears and holes to the silk along the outermost borders. The.
  • Seller Location:
    Austin, TX
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU894733057592

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