This ceremonial cloth or ‘tampan’ depicts a central large creature, two smaller creatures and several ancestor or deity figures on a ship. There are also ancestor or deity figures riding on the back of the central creature. It has been suggested that the image of mythical animals with ancestor or deity riders is a symbol of ancestor or deity transition when an individual moves to another social or spiritual state. This interpretation is not only consistent with the symbolism of ship imagery in Lampung textiles, but also explains the importance of such ceremonial cloths at rites of passage. 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.
