Adat
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Adat, a word derived from Arabic, governs Indonesian daily life. Sometimes translated as "customary rule," adat is all-pervasive, covering not only ritual but traditional kinship systems, politics, ethical codes, and ultimately the conceptualization of the universe.
Hindu-Buddhism and Islam in Lampung Culture
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Receptiveness to foreign influences is sometimes considered one of the characteristic traits of Indonesian cultures. The new was never shut out, but was instead invited in, causing old traditions to be transformed over and over again.
Lampung boat symbolism
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
In Indonesia, traditional boat symbolism was predominantly found in areas where Hindu-Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity had not made their appearance or had arrived relatively late, as was the case in the Moluccas. On many of the smaller islands of Maluku Tenggara, such as Kai, Tanimbar, and Babar, this symbolism has been well documented, and it consistently appears to have functioned in two ways.
Ascending the papadon in Lampung Culture
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
In the 19th century, Lampung life mainly revolved around attaining as high a social status as possible. All other matters were set aside in favor of the struggle for prestige, which culminated in the ascension to the papadon for the most successful men. Each rung of the social ladder had its own titles and privileges.
Lampung Province, Sumatra
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Lampung province in southern Sumatra is known today as one of the most densely populated and also one of the poorest parts of Indonesia. This current poverty forms a dramatic contrast to its recent past. Travelers who visited the region in the 19th century, for example, would often be awestruck by the impressive display of beauty and splendor.
Dayak Ceremonial Objects: Then and Now
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The open inner veranda that spanned the length of a traditional Iban Dayak longhouse (ruai) was a gathering place for neighbors and a setting for many social activities. It was also an area of creative interaction or friendly competition which, according to such ethnographers as Derek Freeman and Michael Heppell, could at times reflect an almost palpable tension.
Dayak Arts: Creations for purpose and pleasure
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The languages of Dayak peoples have no traditional words for art or the making of art. Dayak artists viewed objects in perhaps a more unified sense, in which art and craft were seen as one and the same. Dayak artists created inspired carvings, weavings, plaited fine mats and baskets, decorated bark cloth and beaded garments, crafted jewelry, and a wide array of ornaments.
Tampan
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Lampung shipcloths are habitually divided into two main categories, tampan and palepai, based on shape and use. Tampan tend to be relatively small in size, and are square, with sides that rarely exceed three feet in length.
Gustav Stickley's Rustic armchair
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
In May of 1903, in an article on the design and furnishing of the Craftsman house, Gustav Stickley first provided an endorsement of woven willow furniture by suggesting that “a few willow chairs, stained a spring-like green” might serve to “lighten the otherwise too heavy and sombre effect of line and color” with
Gustav Stickley (1858-1942)
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Born in 1858 in Osceola, Wisconsin to two German immigrants, designer Gustav Stickley's career began in 1876 when he apprenticed in his uncle's chair factory at the age of eighteen.