Wearing Wealth and Styling Identity
April 11, 2009, through August 31, 2009
Tapis from Lampung, South Sumatra, Indonesia
Location
Temporary Exhibitions, Lathrop, Jaffe, and Hall Galleries
About
Handwoven from cotton and silk threads, colored with ancestral dye recipes, embellished with gold- and silver-wrapped threads, embroidered with silk or pineapple-fiber threads, appliquéd with mirrors and mica, these ornate tube dresses were created by elite women of Lampung, South Sumatra. The product of a culture located between the two maritime routes between East and West Asia, these sumptuous garments communicate a family's global contacts, social station, and clan identity. Guest curated by Dr. Mary-Louise Totton, assistant professor of art history at Western Michigan University, the exhibition combines selected tapis from the Stephen A. Lister Family Collection with contextual archival photographs.
Generously supported by the Evelyn A. J. Hall Fund and the William B. Jaffe and Evelyn A. Jaffe Hall Fund.
Exhibition Curator
Dr. Mary-Louise Totten
Related Publications
Additional Information
Related Exhibitions
- Polynesian Tapa: Decorated Barkcloth from Tonga and Samoa
- Dressing Up Culture: Molas from Kuna Yala
- Ukara: Ritual Cloth of the Ekpe Secret Society