Tapis Inuh
Unknown Sumatran, Sumatran
mid-20th century
Silk and cotton with silk floss and gold thread
Overall: 51 15/16 × 46 7/16 in. (132 × 118 cm)
Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth: Gift of Stephen A. Lister, Class of 1963
2009.98.38
Geography
Place Made: Sumatra, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia
Period
20th century
Object Name
Textile
Research Area
Asia
Textiles and Costumes
Not on view
Label
The Tapis Inuh is a style of tapis which incorporates ikat, a resist-dye technique applied to the cloth before weaving, and silk embroidery. In the blue-white striped bands of this tapis, white geometric forms depict the cumi-cumi, or cuttlefish, swimming along the ocean floor with their elongated tentacles outstretched to catch their prey.
The cumi-cumi, a prevalent motif for Indonesian textiles, is a symbol of wealth. It is revered for both its commercial value and mythological significance. During the ancient Sumatran gold trade cuttlefish were harvested for food, their sepia ink extracted for dyes, and their cuttlebone for casting precious metals. These elusive creatures were also a source of fascination due to their shape shifting and camouflaging abilities, seen as sea monsters and masters of deception.
From the 2023 exhibition A Space for Dialogue 115, Connecting Threads and Woven Stories, curated by Caitlyn King '24, Class of 1954 Intern
Exhibition History
A Space for Dialogue 115, Connecting Threads and Woven Stores, Caitlyn King '24, Class of 1954 Intern, Alvin P. Gutman Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, October 21 - December 16, 2023.
Wearing Wealth and Styling Identity: Tapis from Lampung, South Sumatra, Indonesia, William B. Jaffe and Evelyn A. Jaffe Hall Galleries and Churchill P. Lathrop Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, April 11-August 31, 2009.
Publication History
Mary-Louise Totton, Wearing Wealth and Styling Identity: Tapis from Lampung, South Sumatra, Hanover: Trustees of Dartmouth College, 2009, p. 155, plate 50, ill.
Provenance
Stephen A. Lister, Santa Fe, New Mexico; given to present collection, 2009.
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