Subject: warrior
Culture: Sumbanese
Setting: Sumba late 18th - early 19c
Object: hinggi cloth
Dallas Museum of Arts > Pacific Islands *
"Man's shoulder or hip cloth (hinggi)
Indonesia: Lesser Sunda Islands, East Sumba, Kanatang Village 19th century Homespun cotton ...
This shoulder or hip cloth (hinggi) is distinguished by its rich colors, technical virtuosity, and natural materials. The end bands depict crocodiles and small avian creatures. The crocodile is a sacred animal (marapu), an original ancestor, who is associated with royal lineages and the power of the underworld. The small birds between the crocodiles are symbols for the upper world. Combined, these motifs verify one's pedigree and connection to the past. Prior to Dutch intervention in the early 20th century, the center of a noble's hinggi also designated its owner's status and particular kingdom. This one was once the property of the kings of Kanatang.
"Hinggi were worn on ceremonial occasions, given as gifts of prestige and exchange, and most lavishly used as burial shrouds. A royal corpse could sometimes be wrapped in as many as one hundred or more blankets, and lay in state for many years before secondary or final burial."
*
*
*
*
