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1961 |
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2013 |
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2015 |
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2025 |
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Kamben Geringsing (ceremonial Cloth) (Indonesia)
This is a Kamben geringsing (ceremonial cloth). It is dated 19th century and we acquired it in 1961. Its medium is cotton and its technique is tied resist patterning in warp and weft (double ikat) on plain weave. It is a part of the Textiles department.
Title: Pure Balinese
This textile is created in double ikat technique, in which both the warp and weft threads are tie-dyed in order to create a pattern when the weaving is completed. In Indonesia, this technique is known as geringsing, meaning ‘without sickness’ or ‘without evil’[1] and is produced exclusively in Tenganan Pegeringsingan, a small village in north-east Bali.[2] The people of this village, the Bali Aga, are thought to be the “pure Balinese” because they trace their history to before Hinduism was introduced in Indonesia.[3]
Geringsing cloths are associated with spiritual protection, and there are many restrictions associated with its making and use. Kamben geringsing are woven with a continuous, uncut warp, making them “pure.” [4] Textiles like these are placed under a person’s head during teeth-filing ceremonies and are present at a child’s first hair cut throughout Bali.[5] Kamben geringsing are also worn during rites of passage to protect the wearer during the critical transitions from one life phase to the next[6] as well as by dancers of the baris tekok jago, performed at cremation ceremonies.[7] This textile features four-pointed stars with notched square design surrounded by four scorpion figures that divide the textile into semi-circles. These semi-circles display, among other designs, the wayang patalikur isi motif—a geometric figure with a headdress that is similar to that worn by the baris tekok jago dancers.[8]
Alexia Fawcett was a Peter Krueger intern in the Textiles Department in the summer of 2012.
[1] Lydia Van Gelder, Ikat (New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1980), 122.
[2] Brigitta Hauser- Schäublin, Textiles in Bali (Berkeley: Periplus Editions, 1991), 117.
[3] Wanda Warming and Michael Gaworski, The World of Indonesian Textiles (Michigan: Kodansha International, 1981), 108.
[4] John Gillow, Traditional Indonesian Textiles (New York: Thames & Hudson, 1993), 86.
[5] Brigitta Hauser- Schäublin, Textiles in Bali (Berkeley: Periplus Editions, 1991), 128.
Wanda Warming and Michael Gaworski, The World of Indonesian Textiles (Michigan: Kodansha International, 1981), 108 and 113.
[6] John Gillow, Traditional Indonesian Textiles (New York: Thames & Hudson, 1993), 86.
[7] John Gillow, Traditional Indonesian Textiles (New York: Thames & Hudson, 1993), 86.
Wanda Warming and Michael Gaworski, The World of Indonesian Textiles (Michigan: Kodansha International, 1981), 108.
[8] Wanda Warming and Michael Gaworski, The World of Indonesian Textiles (Michigan: Kodansha International, 1981), 113.
This object was
donated by
Alan L. Wolfe.
It is credited Gift of Alan L. Wolfe.
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Its dimensions are
H x W: 231.1 x 39.1 cm (7 ft. 7 in. x 15 3/8 in.)
Cite this object as
Kamben Geringsing (ceremonial Cloth) (Indonesia); cotton; H x W: 231.1 x 39.1 cm (7 ft. 7 in. x 15 3/8 in.); Gift of Alan L. Wolfe; 1961-115-37
