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The Fabric of Life: Ikat Textiles of Indonesia
February 28, 2006–September 24, 2006
The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, 1st floor
The diverse ethnic groups of Indonesia are renowned for the richness and variety of their textiles. Created by women and used by both sexes, textiles in many Indonesian societies are both literally and figuratively interwoven with an individual’s life from earliest infancy to the wrapping of the funerary shroud. This exhibition explores the imagery, forms, and functions of one of the most important, widespread, and technically sophisticated of all Indonesian textile traditions—the colorful and boldly patterned fabrics known as ikat. Drawn primarily from the Metropolitan’s own collection, the exhibition includes ikat from several distinctive regional traditions. The imagery ranges from vibrant geometric compositions to figural patterns woven with astonishing artistic and technical virtuosity.
This exhibition is made possible through the generosity of the Friends of the Department of the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas.
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