Tapis ( Surat Ulu: ; id, kain tapis or simply ) is a traditional ''

Tenun ''Tenun'' is an artful Indonesian technique of making a fabric by weaving different colours of threads. belongs to one of the typical Indonesian cultural arts produced by hand skills using traditional looms. The word itself has a high meaning ...

'' style and also refers to resulting cloth that originated from

Lampung Lampung ( Lampung: ), officially the Province of Lampung ( id, Provinsi Lampung) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the southern tip of the island of Sumatra. It has a short border with the province of Bengkulu to the northwest, and ...

South Sumatra South Sumatra ( id, Sumatra Selatan) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the southeast of the island of Sumatra, The province spans and had a population of 8,467,432 at the 2020 Census. The capital of the province is Palembang. The prov ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

. It consists of a striped, naturally-coloured cloth embroidered with warped and couched

gold thread Goldwork is the art of embroidery using metal threads. It is particularly prized for the way light plays on it. The term "goldwork" is used even when the threads are imitation gold, silver, or copper. The metal wires used to make the threads have ...

. Traditionally using floral motifs, it has numerous variations. It is generally worn ceremonially, although it can be used as a decoration. It is considered one of the symbols of

and Lampungese.

Production

''Tapis'' is generally made by Lampungese women. It consists of a woven, naturally coloured fabric with warped gold and silk embroidery. The gold thread, shaped in stripes, chevrons, and checks, contrasts the colours of the fabric. ''Tapis'' can also be decorated with beads, mica chips, or old

colonial Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 au ...

coins. The gold embroidery is affixed using

couching In embroidery, couching and laid work are techniques in which yarn or other materials are laid across the surface of the ground fabric and fastened in place with small stitches of the same or a different yarn. The couching threads may be eithe ...

techniques, minimalizing waste. The gold thread is attached in sections, then couched with a different, less expensive, thread at turns. This ensures that none of the gold thread is used in a non-visible area. Traditionally, ''tapis'' has floral motifs. However, modern tapis may also be based on the weaver's own design and include non-floral motifs, such as

Arabic calligraphy Arabic calligraphy is the artistic practice of handwriting and calligraphy based on the Arabic alphabet. It is known in Arabic as ''khatt'' ( ar, خط), derived from the word 'line', 'design', or 'construction'. Kufic is the oldest form of t ...

. Other designs may include snakes, ships, and mythical creatures. Some tapis, called ''tapis tua'' (old tapis), are covered entirely in golden embroidery. Although generally produced by Lampungese home industries, ''tapis'' is also produced in other areas, including Kendal, Central Java and Pisang Island.

Use

COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Een echtpaar uit Lampung (Sumatra) in adatkostuum TMnr 10002793

Traditionally, ''tapis'' is worn as a

sarong A sarong or sarung () is a large tube or length of fabric, often wrapped around the waist, worn in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, Northern Africa, East Africa, West Africa, and on many Pacific islands. The fabric often has woven plaid o ...

for weddings, Eid ul-Fitr celebrations, and welcoming ceremonies. However, ''tapis'' can also be used as a wall decoration. When worn, it forms a cylinder around the wearer's legs.

Reception

has come to be seen as a symbol of

. Some people describes as having "exceptional beauty and sophistication", while some describes viewing as "like seeing countless possibilities in art and life portrayed in cloth". The price of reflects its age. Generally, the older a the more it costs. Antique are also collectors items, collected by both Indonesians and foreigners.

Gallery

File:Woman's ceremonial skirt (tapis), Kauer people, Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia, view 1, early 20th century, cotton, silk, glass mirrors - Textile Museum of Canada - DSC01020.JPG, Tapis of Kauer people,

at the Textile Museum of Canada File:Woman's Ceremonial Skirt (Tapis) MET DP145517.jpg, ''Tapis'' from

18th century (or earlier) at the collection of

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

, New York File:Black and red tapis.png, A black and red tapis

References

;Footnotes ;Bibliography * * * * {{Weaving Indonesian clothing Textile industry of Indonesia

Production

Use

Reception

Gallery

See also

References