This shoulder cloth was made by the Toba Batak people of north Sumatra, Indonesia.
Ulos is the Batak word for cloth, while ragi hotang denotes the type. Batak textiles tend to be rather dark and sombre with simple geometric forms. Textiles are important in Batak gift giving, in which a hierarchical structure determines which of the 25 or so textiles produced by the Batak is appropriate to the occasion and to the age and social status of the recipient. The ragi hotang is the highest ranked textile to be given to a bride and groom.

This shoulder cloth was made 1900-1925.

Shoulder wrap (ulos ragi hotang), cotton, Toba Batak people, north Sumatra, Indonesia, 1900-1925.
Warp faced, plain weave, wide centre field of alternating red and indigo vertical stripes. Simple ikat work depicting arrowhead designs, created by pulling threads during warp alignment. Ends display individual supplementary weft patterning showing 'Dongsong' type design, metrical repetition of hooked diamonds and other geometric forms, repeated in the twined border decoration. Carefully corded fringe.

Maker: Toba Batak people; Sumatra, Indonesia; 1900 - 1925

A10995

1900 - 1925

830 mm