The baskets and containers in this group illustrate the wide-ranging craft skills and materials used to satisfy the practical needs of traditional everyday life in the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia. Utilising wood, differing palm products, bamboo, imported glass beads and other ornaments, a variety of containers are made which, as well as being beautiful and functional, offer cultural insights.

The man's wooden pouch, called a tongal, is a fine example of traditional woodcarving and is characteristic of traditional male attire in the island of Sumba. Tongal are worn tied at the waist and are used to carry money and other precious small belongings, such as the sacred traditional ear ornaments known as mamuli.

The tongal (male pouch) is a traditional form made and worn by men in the island of Sumba.

The tongal was probably carved from locally available timber in Sumba, Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia

This tongal was made c.1930.

Worn by Sumbanese men, attached at the waist and used to carry money and other valuables. The tongal often contains the person's mamuli (sacred traditional ear ornament), which is sometimes taken with them when they go out.

The tongal was bought in Waingapu, West Timor, by the vendor Sue Tuckwell in the mid 1980s.

Covered pouch (tongal), mens, wood & string (modern), Sumba, Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia, c. 1930

A slender rectangular wooden pouch with string closure. The larger, lower section of light coloured wood is roughly hollowed out and is recessed around the rim to allow the narrow darker-coloured cover to fit flush. Both container and cover have a very smooth, natural finish to the exterior. They are connected by a length of (modern) red and black string tied to integral carved knobs at each side of the lower section and threaded through holes at the corners of the cover and a pierced knob at centre-top of the cover. Dark blue/black staining inside.

Designed: Sumba, Indonesia

Made: Sumba, Indonesia; 1925 - 1935


Used: Sumba, Indonesia

Owned: Waingapu, Sumba, Indonesia

2002/5/1

120 mm

175 mm

28 mm