Cloth dyed in blue and white was worn by the lower classes in Sumbanese society. This ‘hinggi’ or man’s mantle depicts alternate rows of confronting chickens and horses. Chickens are said to represent sustenance and horses were part of the bride-price wealth and also provided transport. Man’s mantle was wrapped around the hips and was used to cover the corpse at death. The mantle was patterned using the ‘warp ikat’ technique, where the vertical threads are tied and dyed before the fabric is woven.
