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LOT 251:
A CEREMONIAL DRESS
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Start price:
€
650
Estimated price:
€800 - €1,000
Buyer's Premium: 26%
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A CEREMONIAL DRESS
Indonesia, Sumba, 20th century
The fabric decorated on the front with small shells and polychrome glass beads to create a composition with a stylized male figure surrounded by a bird, two crocodiles, two turtles and two scorpions.
120 x 80 cm
Provenance: Italian private collection.
This kind of garment was worn by the women of the island of Sumba, near East Timor, on the occasion of particular propitiatory ceremonies, and it is for this reason that the elements of the decoration usually have a very precise symbolism, connected with the wish of longevity and fertility.
For two skirts (lau hada) similar to this in terms of concept, symbolism and decorative techniques, preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of New York, see R.J. Holmgren - A.E. Spertus, Early Indonesian Textiles from Three Island Cultures, New York 1989, nn. 2-3.
