tribaltextiles.info

Dear Mac, so nice to hear from you again
I replied to your email the day I replied to your post here, but it seems my email got gobbled up by cyberspace! We've been having problems with our local server, maybe that's it

I'll try to answer your questions as best possible, I apologise that my reply is rather fragmentary in form:

* I am not an expert on the dyes used on these textiles, but my supervisor, Dr Norwani Nawawi might know. Her PhD was on limar reproduction techniques.

* I think your estimate for 19th century is correct, as most textiles earlier than that might not have survived our climate.

* No one knows exactly when limar was first used in Malaysia, as there are no written historical documents on their manufacture. But, we know that they were favoured by Cik Siti Wan Kembang, the sole female ruler of Kelantan. She ruled in the 17th century. Limar is also mentioned in Malay Hikayat, although there are no exact dates.

* Perhaps I can send you a PDF of chapters of my thesis which may shed some light on your queries on the origins of limar via email:)

* Unfortunately, I won't be able to post pictures of the museum's limar collection, as they are copyrighted to the museum. But, if you can post yours, perhaps I can tell you about the motifs I see in them.

* The limar exhibition is planned for March 2011. Hopefully it'll work out.

* I'm afraid I don't know very much about the Sambas Sultanate, sorry. As far as I know, limar were also made in Palembang.

Mac, please don't worry about paying me for the book I'll be happy to send one over to you. If I could just find the time to swing by the post office! Perhaps after the new year? So sorry for the delay!

PS: I'll be starting another thread on another publication I'm involved in called the Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion by Berg. It'll be out in May 2010

MAC

Quite an interesting collection of references to the Sultanate of Sambas http://www.zum.de/whkmla/region/seasia/xsambas.html Don't think there is anything about textiles but some good general background on the Sultanate. I have found one photo but not clear enough to see any details of the textiles that might be ikat http://sirismm.si.edu/naa/97/oceania/05029800.jpg

By the way Adline, don't assume that textiles will not survive in your climate. Scientific analysis and radiocarbon dating of some Indian trade cloths (not ikat) at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford which were found in eastern Indonesia has pushed back their dating to the 1400s.

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Pamela

http://www.tribaltextiles.info
on-line tribal textiles resource

Well said

The topic of Sambas textiles came up recently in an email chat I was having as my correspondent was looking at some Sambas textiles. I had a hunt on the forum for 'Sambas' and came up with this thread. I asked to see some images which were kindly sent to me and which (with permission) I attach with some explanatory comments that I was given.

Apparently the Sambas Malay are known for their chequered weaving - neither songket nor ikat with the Sambas having more to do with a Bugis family than Jahore. The Opus were quite influential in Sambas and Mempawah, not to mention Matan. As you will see from some attached (perhaps somewhat flashier) examples, there seems to be a Bugis influence in 10 (painted one) and 20. 13 is everyman's but gives an example of the chequered stuff which is usually without any embellishment. To be clear: 10, 20 and 13 are songket with embroidery of the little foliate motifs. Mempawah went differently with their embroidery (17 - is entirely embroidery).

Sorry, MAC, no ikat in these examples but painting on one. I think that 13 is most to my taste. I can get an impression of the Bugis influence.

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Pamela

http://www.tribaltextiles.info
on-line tribal textiles resource