Borneo - Maloh Dayak Woman's Ceremonial Beaded Skirt - #186
Description:
An impeccable, fully intact example of its type, this beaded skirt features a row of squatting human-like figures known as kaletau or kakaletau. Almost always depicted in yellow, these figures may represent protective guardians, ancestral spirits or helpful slaves. Worked entirely in European glass beads, the band of figures is flanked on either side by split nassa shell beads arranged as adjacent isocesceles triangle motifs sometimes called tumpal. Small decorative metal sequins and larger metal bells add more visual interest to the skirt’s lower area. While the sequins would have reflected light in silence, the bells would have tinkled each time the wearer moved, drawing attention to her motions.
This skirt was collected in 1986 among the Taman Maloh living a short boat ride upriver from Putussibau on the Upper Kapaus River in West Kalimantan.
Additional images available upon request.
Condition:
Excellent overall, with no damage to beaded bands. However, some of the metal bells show signs of oxidation consistent with age.
Dimensions:
Centimeters: 43 cm x 53 cm
Inches: 17” x 21.75”
Comparable Examples:
John Maxwell. Textiles of the Kapuas Basin - With Special Reference to Maloh Beadwork. In Indonesian Textiles: Irene Emory Roundtable on Indonesian Textiles, 1979 Proceedings, edited by Mattiebelle Gittinger, pp. 127-140. Textile Museum, Washington, DC.
All Photos Copyright Authentic Objects 2024. All Rights Reserved.
Description:
An impeccable, fully intact example of its type, this beaded skirt features a row of squatting human-like figures known as kaletau or kakaletau. Almost always depicted in yellow, these figures may represent protective guardians, ancestral spirits or helpful slaves. Worked entirely in European glass beads, the band of figures is flanked on either side by split nassa shell beads arranged as adjacent isocesceles triangle motifs sometimes called tumpal. Small decorative metal sequins and larger metal bells add more visual interest to the skirt’s lower area. While the sequins would have reflected light in silence, the bells would have tinkled each time the wearer moved, drawing attention to her motions.
This skirt was collected in 1986 among the Taman Maloh living a short boat ride upriver from Putussibau on the Upper Kapaus River in West Kalimantan.
Additional images available upon request.
Condition:
Excellent overall, with no damage to beaded bands. However, some of the metal bells show signs of oxidation consistent with age.
Dimensions:
Centimeters: 43 cm x 53 cm
Inches: 17” x 21.75”
Comparable Examples:
John Maxwell. Textiles of the Kapuas Basin - With Special Reference to Maloh Beadwork. In Indonesian Textiles: Irene Emory Roundtable on Indonesian Textiles, 1979 Proceedings, edited by Mattiebelle Gittinger, pp. 127-140. Textile Museum, Washington, DC.
All Photos Copyright Authentic Objects 2024. All Rights Reserved.
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