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Mounted Indonesian Dyed Silk Lawon, Diamond Pattern, Early 20th Century

About the Item

A striking Indonesian silk kain lawon with a central diamond pattern, Sumatra, Indonesia, late 19th or early 20th century. The ceremonial shawl, called a lawon, features a brash and bold pattern, with a central deep purple diamond surrounded by a larger chartreuse diamond, all against a raspberry purple ground. The dyes all natural vegetable dyes. The chartreuse green color is notoriously hard to set, with many examples faded or mis-set. This example with a surprisingly intact and stabile color. The patterns in lawon are created using a resist dye technique called tritik, in which a length of strong fiber, such as pineapple fiber, is stitched through the fabric and pulled tightly to create the resist (essentially tie-dye). The stitch marks still visible in the cream borders separating the color fields. Lawon are often referred to as "Rothko Textiles" in the West, due to their resemblance, especially those with rectangular patterns, to the iconic color field paintings of Mark Rothko.u
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 63 in (160.02 cm)Width: 27.5 in (69.85 cm)Depth: 1.75 in (4.45 cm)
  • Style:
    Tribal (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
    Silk,Vegetable Dyed
  • Place of Origin:
    Indonesia
  • Period:
    1900-1909
  • Date of Manufacture:
    circa 1900
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use. Minor structural damages. Minor fading. Professionally stretched and mounted, and restored. The textile with sun fading, light staining, and areas of restoration. Please see photos for details.
  • Seller Location:
    Austin, TX
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU894716006561

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