Sumba Ikat Sarong with Stylized Figural Motifs

This ikat sarong from the Indel Sawo region of Indonesia measures 164 cm tall and 60 cm wide, woven in natural cotton with deep indigo-blue warp-ikat patterning on a cream ground. The textile is organized into horizontal registers displaying rows of stylized anthropomorphic figures with raised arms and prominent headdresses, interspersed with bands of geometric diamond and lattice motifs. The characteristic soft-edged blur of the ikat resist-dyeing technique is visible throughout all pattern elements. Acquired on the island of Sumba in 1973, this piece exemplifies the refined ikat weaving tradition of eastern Indonesia.