1983.81 Ceremonial mat (lampit)

This ceremonial sitting mat is centered by a sun symbol surrounded by eight birds and starlike rosettes that are repeated throughout the entire composition. Four ships with great prows or wings carry symbolic trees, ancestors, and various animals as their cargo. The mat is bordered by four crescent moons and banded by leafy tendrils. At each cardinal point is a single star or rosette. The designs were burned into the mat’s surface with a heated stylus and hot embers.

Lampit served as seats of honor. Their cosmological renderings advertised an individual’s prestige and lineage. Far more than just a seat or a mat, lampit reflected a cosmological order that blessed aristocrats and gave them supernatural protection while ensuring the presence of the ancestors at ceremonial events.

Roslyn Walker, Label text, 2013.

Until 1983: Steven G. Alpert, Dallas Texas, purchased from Andy Ng, Singapore

1983: Dallas Museum of Art, purchased from above [1]

Notes:

The main source for this provenance is the Pacific American Corp. document titled "Dallas Museum of Art: The Steven G. Alpert Collection of Indonesian Textiles" in the Collections Records file labeled Steven G. Alpert—Indonesian Textiles. Exceptions and other supporting documents are noted.

[1] See pages 1-4 of the correspondence between Harry S. Parker and Pacific American Corp. dated October 5, 1983, in the Collections Records file labeled Steven G. Alpert—Indonesian Textiles.

Apply to objects where number equals 1983.81