1818 Antique Figurative Ikat - Atoni Timor Indonesian Textile

Antique Ikat with 48 anthropomorphic figures 

The hierarchical layout  - a small figure nestled in the shade of a larger figure - is suggestive of an ancestral family tree structure.

At the vertical midpoint, the figures change direction and are placed opposing the other set. Note the supplementary thread embroidery / weaving at the centre.

Rare Yellow, rust and dark blue combination. Most of this type are indigo and white.

Further, in other similar examples 6 inches of the border are created by borders that are simple weavings. In this textile, the entire breadth is woven in ikat - which would have taken much longer to make than the others with borders.

An unusually high number of 24 large and 24 small figures woven in ikat.

Atoni people, Timor.

Estimated to be from the mid 1900s

Other Examples: Museum of Fine Arts

 102 x 208cm

***

This item has spent a lifetime being used for the purpose of its creation with the original artist/user. Signs of this life lived heartily may be present on the piece in the form of stains, thread loss, loose threads, holes, tears, color run and other imperfections. Therefore the condition must be assumed to be “not” perfect. More photos of such imperfections will be provided on request.

***