1983.72 Ceremonial cloth (tampan)

Ceremonial cloths called tampan were displayed and exchanged during important rituals and rites of passage ceremonies. In Lampung the most important ceremonial use of these textiles was either during marriage rites or during the raising of one’s status to garner honors and titles. Many of the designs on these textiles depict transitions from one state in life to another.

Two forms of conveyance, the ship and a mythological beast, figure prominently in this tampan. One human figure appears in the middle of an animal-like structure that also resembles a beast. Near the top, another figure stands before a lawing kori, or ceremonial gate. The center of the cloth is dominated by a triangular form on a pole that resembles a rumah pojang, the ritual house where heirlooms are stored. Winglike projections emerging from the roof of the house connect the two figures and the ancestors in harmonious unity.

Roslyn Walker, Label text, 2013.

Until 1983: Steven G. Alpert, purchased from private individual

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 1983.72