Sarong

A woman's cloth from South Sumatra. Such so-called tapis are only found in South Sumatra. The style is very recognizable. Various museums possess such canvases, although they are often damaged and sometimes of poor quality. The RMV owns about 20 of these canvases, but unfortunately sometimes the colours are not as bright as on this specimen. Tapis were worn by well-to-do women and girls on festive occasions, such as weddings. The cloths betray influences from outside. Chinese traders probably introduced the embroidery technique early on, and silk and gold thread were imported from South Asia. All this is reflected in these canvases. The wealth of South Sumatra was mainly due to the pepper trade.