Ceremonial cloth

This ceremonial cloth or ‘tampan’ depicts two ancestor or deity figures in what could be highly stylised ancestor shrines, amidst geometric patterns in mirror image. Ancestor shrines are a common motif found on tampans. Such ceremonial cloths could be used as gifts, covers for ritual offerings or pillows for the deceased. It is normally woven using the supplementary weft technique, where additional horizontal threads create patterns over the top of the ground weave.