Woman's Skirt

Maker: Unknown

late 15th–16th century

Indo-Pacific Art

This textile is exceptional for several reasons. Its date is established by radiocarbon dating, and it is one of a few surviving from the sixteenth century. It also shows outstanding technical achievements in the precision of patterns, the fineness of the hand-spun cotton, and the evenness of dye quality. Although the individual motifs are relatively simple, they combine to create a vibrant design. The skirt has three panels woven with a continuous warp, which creates a tubular cloth. When the weaver comes close to completing the circle, the shed and heddle devices make it impossible to insert further weft threads. Usually the textile is then taken off the loom, cut, and sewn together. Here, however, the circular shape of each panel was completed by manually inserting the remaining weft. This technique is no longer used in Indonesia.

Medium

Cotton; warp-faced plain weave, warp ikat

Dimensions

35 13/16 × 73 1/4 in. (91 × 186 cm)

Credit Line

Robert J. Holmgren and Anita E. Spertus Collection, Promised gift of Thomas Jaffe, B.A. 1971

Loan number

ILE2006.4.86

Classification
Disclaimer

Note: This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect the Yale University Art Gallery’s complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of records is ongoing.

Provenance

Provenance

Ex-collection: Robert J. Holmgren and Anita E. Spertus, New York. First known collector: Syamsuddin (1500)
Object copyright
Additional information

Object/Work type

clothing, skirts

Technical metadata and APIs

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Open in Mirador

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