Tapis (; or simply ) is a traditional ''

Tenun ''Tenun'' is a traditional Austronesian peoples weaving technique found across Maritime Southeast Asia, deriving from a shared Proto-Austronesian root meaning ''"to weave"''. The word itself has a high meaning, historical value, and technique i ...

'' style and also refers to resulting cloth that originated from

Lampung Lampung, officially the Province of Lampung (; ), is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the southern tip of the island of Sumatra. It has a short border with the province of Bengkulu to the northwest, and a longer border with the provi ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

. It consists of a striped, naturally-coloured cloth embroidered with

warped Warp, warped or warping may refer to: Arts and entertainment Books and comics * WaRP Graphics, an alternative comics publisher * ''Warp'' (First Comics), comic book series published by First Comics based on the play ''Warp!'' * Warp (comics), a D ...

and couched

gold thread Goldwork is the art of embroidery using metal threads. It is particularly prized for the way light plays on it. The term "goldwork" is used even when the threads are imitation gold, silver, or copper. The metal wires used to make the threads h ...

. Traditionally using floral motifs, it has numerous variations. It is generally worn ceremonially, although it can be used as a decoration. It is considered one of the symbols of

and Lampungese.

Production

''Tapis'' is generally made by Lampungese women. It consists of a woven, naturally coloured fabric with

gold and silk embroidery. The gold thread, shaped in stripes, chevrons, and checks, contrasts the colours of the fabric. ''Tapis'' can also be decorated with beads,

mica Micas ( ) are a group of silicate minerals whose outstanding physical characteristic is that individual mica crystals can easily be split into fragile elastic plates. This characteristic is described as ''perfect basal cleavage''. Mica is co ...

chips, or old colonial coins. The gold embroidery is affixed using

couching In embroidery, couching and laid work are techniques in which yarn or other materials are laid across the surface of the ground fabric and fastened in place with small stitches of the same or a different yarn. The couching threads may be eithe ...

techniques, minimalizing waste. The gold thread is attached in sections, then couched with a different, less expensive, thread at turns. This ensures that none of the gold thread is used in a non-visible area. Traditionally, ''tapis'' has floral motifs. However, modern tapis may also be based on the weaver's own design and include non-floral motifs, such as

Arabic calligraphy Arabic calligraphy is the artistic practice of penmanship, handwriting and calligraphy based on the Arabic alphabet. It is known in Arabic language, Arabic as ''khatt'' (), derived from the words 'line', 'design', or 'construction'. Kufic is the ...

. Other designs may include snakes, ships, and mythical creatures. Some tapis, called ''tapis tua'' (old tapis), are covered entirely in golden embroidery. Although generally produced by Lampungese home industries, ''tapis'' is also produced in other areas, including

Kendal Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Westmorland and Furness, England. It lies within the River Kent's dale, from which its name is derived, just outside the boundary of t ...

Central Java Central Java (, ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia, located in the middle of the island of Java. Its administrative capital is Semarang. It is bordered by West Java in the west, the Indian Ocean and the Special Region of Yogya ...

and Pisang Island.

Use

Traditionally, ''tapis'' is worn as a

sarong A sarong or a sarung (, ) is a large tube or length of textile, fabric, often wrapped around the waist, worn in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, Northern Africa, East Africa, West Africa, and on many Pacific islands. The fabric often ...

for weddings,

Eid ul-Fitr Eid al-Fitr () is the first of the two main festivals in Islam, the other being Eid al-Adha. It falls on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims worldwide because it marks the ...

celebrations, and welcoming ceremonies. However, ''tapis'' can also be used as a wall decoration. When worn, it forms a cylinder around the wearer's legs.

Reception

has come to be seen as a symbol of

. Some people describes as having "exceptional beauty and sophistication", while some describes viewing as "like seeing countless possibilities in art and life portrayed in cloth". The price of reflects its age. Generally, the older a the more it costs. Antique are also collectors items, collected by both Indonesians and foreigners.

Gallery

File:Woman's ceremonial skirt (tapis), Kauer people, Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia, view 1, early 20th century, cotton, silk, glass mirrors - Textile Museum of Canada - DSC01020.JPG, Tapis of Kauer people,

at the

Textile Museum of Canada The Textile Museum of Canada, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a museum dedicated to the collection, exhibition, and documentation of textiles. History The Textile Museum of Canada was founded as the Canadian Museum of Carpets and Textiles ...

File:Woman's Ceremonial Skirt (Tapis) MET DP145517.jpg, ''Tapis'' from

18th century (or earlier) at the collection of

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

File:Black and red tapis.png, A black and red tapis

References

;Footnotes ;Bibliography * * * * {{Weaving Indonesian clothing Textile industry of Indonesia

Production

Use

Reception

Gallery

See also

References