N188
INTERNATIONAL BUYERS PLEASE NOTE:
INSURANCE for $1100 has been AUTOMATICALLY INCLUDED for you.
EXTREMELY HARD TO FIND!
Scarce, OLD HANDWOVEN, HAND DYED LAU HADA - A heavy, ceremonial woman's tubeskirt (locally called lau hada).
VERY, VERY UNUSUAL to find embroidery on an item like this.
The lau is the general term for a traditional tubular
textile worn by Sumbanese women for ceremonial occasions. They were often given to a bride as part of the
marriage ceremony.
The earlier pieces - as this one - were made from hand spun, plain cotton cloth and were often decorated with shells, beads and seeds (Lau Wuti Kau) to create the stylised
shape of a standing male figure surrounded by animals. This male figure ( Marapu) refers to
fertility and the continuity of life within the community.
However, in this instance, I believe this antique lau hada has been decorated later with a chain stitched type of embroidery rather than shells onto the old, cherished cloth in the manner of LAU WUTI KAU shellwork.
In this example, the
textile may have been overdyed to a deep blue black and has faint, dark
blue horizontal stripes remaining that are visible in some lights.
It is also a lau nggeri - which is a plain lau decorated with
a fringe.
The majority of traditional lau wuti kau have a black
or dark brown ground. After the lau was woven and sewn
together it was hot-dyed with a mixture of tannins, and then
mordanted in stagnant river or pond mud that was rich in ferrous
iron"
"This cycle was repeated until
the lau became sufficiently dark in colour. The tannins
were extracted from the branches and leaves of specific local
shrubs and trees, some producing blacks and others producing
browns.
The shellwork was added later - in some cases many decades
later. Generally in a two- or three-panel lau wuti kau
the shell decoration is confined to the lower panel, the tail or kiku
lau. The head (katiku lau) and middle (padua
lau) are normally undecorated. However there are exceptions..."
Purchased by owner as an older piece from an antique dealer, in Denpassar, Bali, 1982.
Measures approx.:147cm x 110cm wide (doubled) plus fringe.
Weighs a heavy 1.2 kilo before packing.
Authentic pieces such as this will have 'imperfections'. This adds character and charm to the piece and are natural characteristics of a handmade product.
Please see the detailed photos for a good indication of the condition. Colours may vary slightly depending on monitor.
CONDITION:
NOTE: This
antique /vintage sarong was a tribal
piece NOT made for the tourist trade
but
for use by Sumbanese women. It is amazing that articles as rare and
special as this are still to be found!
UNIQUE, hand made items such as these will soon be a thing of the past. Will make a wonderful heirloom as well as a unique feature in a modern home.
INTERNATIONAL BUYERS - PAYPAL only accepted .
PLEASE NOTE:
INSURANCE for $1100 has been AUTOMATICALLY INCLUDED for you.
POSTAGE QUOTED IS FOR
TRACKED INSURED airmail parcel.
Registered untracked rates
available upon request.
-
Import duties, taxes and charges are not included in the item price
or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer's
responsibility.
-
Please check with your country's
customs office to determine what these additional
costs will be prior to bidding/buying.
My husband and I have
been selling antiques for the last 33 years but have closed
our shop and are clearing the remaining stock. We do not
claim to be experts in all fields of collecting, so take
a good look at the photographs provided and
PLEASE EMAIL ALL QUESTIONS you may have PRIOR TO BIDDING.