Superb old Dawan hand loomed and beaded kidney sash, Niki Niki, West Timor (TFK)

The word saluf in the Dawan language literally means to tie the kidneys, since these long sashes are worn by men doubled around the waist as waist bands to hold the traditional selimut or ikan blanket in place. Each sash is hand woven out of cotton thread on a simple backstrap loom and decorated at the ends with traditional ikat kaif patterns recording ancestral geology and clan affiliations. This example is finished with a thick fringe of beads which would be a status symbol. Dawan is an ancient language spoken in the town of NikiNiki, a famous textile weaving area, where older women are probably the last generation to practice the ancient weaving methods and produce the correct adat patterns for ikat. In fact, NikiNiki is the only town in West Timor where saluf sashes are still produced – although this tradition too is dying out since modern communications and the Trans Timor Highway have exposed NikiNiki to the world. This old 1970s example measures 177 cm /69 ½ inches.

Price:$165.00 AUD
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