Kwatek méan is a bridewealth skirt made specifically by the Lamahalot people in the Ili Api district of Lembata, Indonesia. Ikat-patterned textiles from the Ili Api region were well-known and widely traded to other parts of Lembata Island. This tubeskirt represents a traditional variation of the Kwatek méan, which were usually in the format of a two-panel skirt with designs on each panel mirroring each other symmetrically. Each individual panel is decorated with parallel horizontal bands of warp ikat patterns. These textiles were commonly made with natural red dyes, as the colour red indicates that the cloth is worthy of its prestige and use in bridal exchange. Like other parts of Lembata Island, these red skirts are critical items in the practice of bridal exchanges. These two-panel skirts were however considered less valuable in comparison to cloths with wider ikat bands or with a central panel with patola-inspired designs.
