Pasisir Tampan

Confirmed radiocarbon date spread from 1655-1802 CE.
Lampung (likely Putidoh), Sumatra, Indonesia
Cotton, supplementary weft weave
25 x 32 in (63.5 cm x 81 cm)

This exceptionally rare and beautiful pasisir tampan features a great ship with multiple decks. The supporting two mythical birds frequently described as Garudas, they are commonly thought of as Hindu-Buddhist demi-deities, but their roots, as in this case, go back to the ancient animistic tradition of the Austronesian culture of 3000 BC and have been associated with bird-gods of headhunting. The ancestors on the top deck are well defined in the ‘wayang’ side view style, with very well-defined costumes. The dodot wrap billowing from their lower body is a sign of royalty. It is likely that the pairs of figures are referring to a possible double wedding scene. There are smaller figures to the sides, being guests or attendants to the nobles. The giant fish beneath the boat are likely symbols of prosperity.

Such supplementary weft cotton textiles were used in marriage exchanges between aristocratic Paminggir families on the South Coast of Lampung. It is one of a small group of tampan first identified by Georg Tillmann in an article in the 1930s that described confronting animals on a ship believed to originate from Putidoh on the Semangka Bay.

Provenance: Private collection of Ibu Diah Munir Djody