Tapis Pucuk Rebung (Bamboo Shoot Tapis)
Unknown Sumatran, Sumatran
19th century
Silk and cotton, gold and silver thread, glass beads, sequins, and silk floss
Overall: 42 1/8 × 49 in. (107 × 124.5 cm)
Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth: Gift of Stephen A. Lister, Class of 1963
2009.98.6
Geography
Place Made: Sumatra, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia
Period
19th century
Object Name
Textile
Research Area
Asia
Not on view
Label
On this tapis—an embroidered skirt worn for Indonesian
special occasions—foraged foods are literally equated
with gold. The triangular pattern forms the pucuk rebung,
or bamboo shoot, pattern. Young bamboo shoots are
cultivated and eaten throughout Asia. An early spring
food source, bamboo shoots demand precise timing from
their harvesters; let the shoot grow for too long and the
taste becomes bitter and the texture too fibrous. The
short seasonal window for edible bamboo is what makes
it precious despite its abundant growth. The ability to
recognize and read the culturally specific language of
tapis patterns parallels the skills of observation utilized
by foragers when looking for and identifying food.
Course History
Anthropology 3.01, Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, Charis Boke, Summer 2024
First Year Student Enrichment Program, Rachel Obbard, Summer 2024
Exhibition History
From the Field: Tracing Foodways Through Art, Owen Robertson Cheatham Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, June 8-November 3, 2024.
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. 25, plate 8, ill.
Provenance
Stephen A. Lister, Santa Fe, New Mexico; given to present collection, 2009.
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