Item Removed

Title:

Textile; tampan; gift wrapping. Indonesia UCLA FMCH X76.1365

Creator:

Lampung Sumatra Indonesia

Subject:

human

birds

diamond

geometric

Description:

Content/Description REMARKS COMPILED IN 1987 BY ROY HAMILTON ON BASIS OF EXISTING RECORDS, EXAMINATION OF OBJECT, AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE: The human figures, depicted with projecting elements including the angular scrolls often found on bird forms, are unusual in comparison with those described by Gittinger [Gittinger 1974:157-167]. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON "TAMPAN" AND "PELEPAI" TEXTILES FROM LAMPUNG, SUMATRA: A "tampan" is a textile measuring between 15 and 30 inches square, backstrap loom woven from locally produced coarse undyed cotton, decorated with supplementary weft threads interwoven to produce the design elements [Entwhistle 1974:2]. A "pelepai" is rarer than a "tampan" and considerably larger, between 5 and 17 feet long and 18 inches to 3 feet wide. "Pelepai" are woven an a manner almost identical to "tampan" [Ibid:5]. "Pelepai" are found in the South Coast area of Lampung Province. "Tampan" are found not only on the South Coast but also in the mountain region of Liwa-Sukau and Kenali on the Krui Coast, and among the Kauer, the Serawai, the Redjang, and possibly among the Abung [Gittinger 1972:4-7]. According to Entwhistle [1974:3-4], production generally ceased by about 1900 but probably continued on a limited scale during the first two decades of the 20th Century. Gittinger [1972:132] generally concurs that production ceased in the first quarter of the 20th Century. "Tampan" may be used by all levels of society and functioned primarily as wrappers for gifts given by the family of the bridegroom at weddings. Traditionally these gifts were rice cakes first wrapped in leaves and then in the "tampan" [Entwhistle 1974:4-5]. "Tampan" also wrapped other gifts exchanged during the marriage negotiations [Gittinger 1972:16-29]. They also functioned in the wedding ceremony [Ibid:29-50], in the ceremony marking the return of the bride to her home accompanied by her husband [Ibid:50-53], in Ngelama at a ceremony during which a newborn child is carried to the maternal grandparents' home [Ibid:53-55], in circumcision rites [Ibid:55-58], and in funeral ceremonies [Ibid:58-64] as well as other minor uses [Ibid:64-68]. "Pelepai" are used as decoration of houses and verandahs, displayed on prestigious occasions as an expression of the wealth and prestige of their owners [Entwhistle 1974:6-7].

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Entwhistle, Lance. 1974. SUPPLEMENTARY WEFT TECHNIQUES OF SOUTHERN LAMPUNG. PRELIMINARY FIELD REPORT. Gittinger, Mattiebelle. 1972. A STUDY OF THE SHIP CLOTHS OF SUMATRA: THEIR DESIGN AND USAGE. Ph.D. Dissertation, Columbia University.

Publisher:

University of California, Los Angeles. Fowler Museum of Cultural History

Date:

1900-Collected 1974

Format:

handwoven supplementary weft handspun cotton fabric 41.2 cm by 40.6 cm

Identifier:

http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/ft7199p0tf