Ceremonial Cloth

Shroud or ceremonial hanging. Sekomandi (funerary cloth) from Torajan regions of Sulawesi, Indonesia, possibly from Rongkong or Galumpang (comparable examples exist from these areas). Used as a funeral shroud, wall hanging, or canopy. Made up of four panels stitched together. Outer panels have (from the outside, moving inward) a thin navy stripe, a thin stripe of solid colors and ikat, a broad navy stripe, another thin stripe of solid colors and ikat, a thin navy stripe, broad solid colored stripes (red, blue, yellow, red), a broad stripe of solid colors and ikat, and finally a very thin stripe of navy. The inner two panels are entirely warp ikat with five small diamond motifs on the top and bottom of each panel, and six larger diamond motifs with red and black interlocking lines in the center. The outer two panels mirror one another, and the inner two panels mirror one another. There is a small hole in one of the broad navy stripes, near the outer corner.