Title
Sarong
Year/Period
Late 19th-early 20th century
Region
Manado, Indonesia Archipelago
Material
Dimension
Gross measurement: 125.8 x 94 cm
Accession No.
2010-01314
Collection of
Credit Line
Gift of Father Robbie Wowor in memory of grandmother, Mrs Tan Tjien Sian née Tjoa Soan Tjoe Nio. Manado, Indonesia
The Sarong is a length of cloth that is sewn together at the ends to form a tube. The wearer then steps into the tube and by folding the excess cloth over itself, tightens the tube into a skirt. Sarongs were commonly made from batik textiles, where plain woven fabric is decorated using molten wax applied or drawn onto the cloth. After successive applications of wax and dye, intricate patterns and designs can be created. This is probably a sarong worn by the Peranakan Chinese men. Compared to the Nonya ones, these usually do not feature elaborate floral motifs or bright colours. Instead it consists of two shades of blue and simple vertical lines which form the main pattern.
