Man’s wrapper, hinggi
Kambera, east Sumba, Indonesia
circa 1970
Size: 284 x 112 cm
Hinggi are Sumba men’s mantles or blankets. They were made in pairs with one wrapped around the loins and the other about the shoulders.
Most of these cloths were produced by women in the coastal districts of the eastern part of Sumba. Many cloths were made for export (the Dutch were already exporting textiles from Sumba 100 years ago) but even more were made for exchange for goods and produce from the interior of the island where, by custom, the process of ikat was forbidden. The exchanges were for agricultural products but also within the context of bride giving and taking. This hinggi is unusual in that it presents a ceremonial or ritual scene.
