Object Notes

This figure is Panlih, a protective spirit distinguished by a heart-shaped face and vice-like hands with enormous thumbs and multiple fingers. He crouches with arms and legs flexed, poised for attack and projecting aggressive vigilance.

Column-like pilasters flanking the arch-paneled doors, massive scale, bold carving, and gleaming brass hardware combine to create an object that approaches architecture in its solidity and scale.

By attaching side panels to straight-back chairs, easy chairs were developed in Europe during the seventeenth century as a means to protect the sitter from cold drafts.

The primary motif of this striking hinggi is the skull-tree (andung). The motifs refer to headhunting, which was a widespread practice in Indonesia before its suppression by Dutch colonial officials.

The textile ground for this exceptional ceremonial skirt consists of abstract patterns enclosed in narrow bands. The designs were ikat-dyed, a process in which the yarns are resist-dyed before weaving.

The complex angular patterns of this textile—diamond shapes with hooks—can be interpreted as stylized human torsos with four limbs that represent many generations of ancestors. Such textiles were used in ceremonies surrounding the death of honored persons.

This beaded sleeveless jacket features a dynamic stylized figure posed squatting with upraised arms and splayed legs. Such beings, called kahle'tau, are considered to be helpful.

The intensity of this blanket is a result of its deeply dyed colors and densely packed geometric designs.

Careful looking reveals a series of arrowlike human figures with angled limbs as the basis for the geometric design of this textile.