| Item-Number: | 781210 |
| Item-Description: | South Sumatra Kroe ceremonial cloth (Tampan) |
| Medium: | Cotton, hand spun, natural dyes |
| Origin: | South Sumatra - Kroe |
| Dimensions: | 61 (h) x 58 (w) cm |
| Age: | 19th century |
| Provenance: | Collected South Sumatra 1978 |
| Condition: | Excellent, no damage or repairs, very minor staining consistent with age |
| Notes: | General: Tampan are unique and unusual ritual cloths from the Kroe people living in the Lampung area of South Sumatra. They are created by applying a supplementary weft on a plain cotton weave and coloured using natural dyes. They are generally square in shape. Tampan cloths were exchanged between Kroe families to consecrate ritual occasions especially those involving major life transitions such as birth, circumcision, courtship, marriage and death. Their use was both spiritual and symbolic but they were also used as wrappings for gifts such as money or food. The ship (a symbol of transition) is a common element in a large number of Tampan. They also commonly exhibit horizontal mirror symmetry, created so that when the cloth is placed over an object as a cover, folded along the horizontal axis, the picture appears correctly oriented in the upward direction on both sides. Specific: This red and blue Tampan illustrates human figures laid out along the base of a ship. The blue colour in this Tampan depicts the secular realm, the red colour the spiritual realm suggesting that this Tampan may have been used at a funeral (placed under the head when the corpse is washed). |
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