1983.68 Woman's ceremonial skirt (tapis)

Called tapis raja medali, or "king's medallion skirt," this resplendent skirt for an aristocratic woman features embroidered antiquated and contemporary figurative motifs. Enlivened with lustrous gold threads, festive scenes are depicted on two of the horizontal bands: mythical dragons (or buffaloes); equestrians; birds in trees; tables set with flowers and European-style chairs; and humans, some wearing Dutch caps of colonial authority. The other two bands depict paddle wheel boats oriented in opposite directions, leaving with valuable cargoes of Sumatran produce and coming in with foreign trade goods. Between each boat are a ladder and lamp with red harbor lights to beckon and guide the oceangoing vessels. 

The raised designs were realized by laying thickly wrapped gold thread on top of the cloth and tacking it into place with plain thread using a couching stitch. 

Roslyn Adele Walker, Label text, 2016.

1970s-1983: Steven G. Alpert, Dallas, Texas, purchased from Tony and Monique Herlambang, Jakarta, Indonesia

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 1983.68