VO LU M E 2 3 N O.

3 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 4

the journal of
the asian arts society
of australia

TAASA Review
CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF TEXTILE STUDY

C ONT E NTS
Volume 23 No. 3 September 2014

Ed itor ial : C el e br ating 2 0 ye ar s o f te xtil e stu dy

TAASA R E V I E W

Marianne Hulsbosch, Guest Editor

THE ASIAN ARTS SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA INC.

Abn 64093697537 Vol. 23 No.3, September 2014
ISSN 1037.6674

4 TRANSLATING T EXTILES : P O ETRY, P ROFIT AND P OLITICS IN T H E I M AG E RY

OF THE WOVEN ART OF ASIA

Susan Scollay

e di torI A L email: editorial@taasa.org.au

7 TEXTILES IN THE SYMBOLI C UNI VERSE OF BALI

Registered by Australia Post. Publication No. NBQ 4134

Siobhan Campbell

10 FRO M P IN EC ON E TO PAISL EY: T H E UBIQ UITOUS B OTE H

General editor, Josefa Green

p ub l i c at i on s c ommi t t ee

Josefa Green (convenor) Tina Burge

Melanie Eastburn Sandra Forbes Charlotte
Galloway William Gourlay Marianne Hulsbosch
Jim Masselos Ann Proctor Sabrina Snow
Christina Sumner

Christina Sumner

13

VEILS OF C HANG E RABARI WEDDING S H AWLS

Carole Douglas

de s i g n / l ayout

16

A FINE POSSESS IO N: JE W E L L E R Y AND IDE NT I T Y - ASIAN BODY ADORN M E NT

p ri n t i n g

AT THE P OWERH OUS E MUSEU M

Min-Jung Kim and Christina Sumner

Ingo Voss, VossDesign

John Fisher Printing

18 IN C ON VERSATION: ASIAN CULTURAL ORIGINS IN T H E T E XTIL E W ORK

Published by The Asian Arts Society of Australia Inc.

PO Box 996 Potts Point NSW 2011
www.taasa.org.au

OF RUTH HADLO W AND WENDY LUGG

Enquiries: admin@taasa.org.au

Belinda von Mengersen

TAASA Review is published quarterly and is distributed to members

22

C ALLIGRAP HIC BATI K CLOT H S IN SOUT H EAST ASIA : MEANING B E H IND T H E W ORDS

Margaret White

of The Asian Arts Society of Australia Inc. TAASA Review welcomes

submissions of articles, notes and reviews on Asian visual and
performing arts. All articles are refereed. Additional copies and
subscription to TAASA Review are available on request.

24 RALLI QUILTS : EX P R ESSIONS OF CULTURAL & INDI VIDUAL ID E NTITY

Sarah E. Tucker

No opinion or point of view is to be construed as the opinion of

The Asian Arts Society of Australia Inc., its staff, servants or agents.
No claim for loss or damage will be acknowledged by TAASA

26 R ESEARC HING IN T H E FIELD T H E SRI KS ETRA MUSEU M , PYAY, M YAN M AR

Review as a result of material published within its pages or

Charlotte Galloway

in other material published by it. We reserve the right to alter

27

C OLLEC TOR S C H OICE : A MUA N G HUN T E XT I LE F R O M N O RT H W E S T L AOS

Gay Spies

indemnity from the advertisers and contributors against damages

or liabilities that may arise from material published.
All reasonable efforts have been made to trace copyright holders.

28 BOOK REVIEW: PO I N T Y S HO E S A N D PI T H HE LME T S

or omit any article or advertisements submitted and require

Gill Green

29 TAASA s AG M & INAUGURAL TAASA ORATION

Sandra Forbes

30

REC ENT TAASA ACTI VITIES

33 TAASA MEMBERS DIARY: S E PT E MBE R N OV E MBR 2014

34

W HAT S ON: SEPT E MBE R N OV E MBR 2014

Compiled by Tina Burge

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TAASA C O M M ITT E E

E DITORIAL : C E L E BRATING 2 0 Y E ARS OF T E XTIL E STUDY

G i ll Gr een President

Marianne Hulsbosch, Guest Editor

Art historian specialising in Cambodian culture

A NN PROC TOR Vice President

Art historian with a particular interest in Vietnam

To dd Sun d er man TR EASUR E R

Former Asian antique dealer, with a particular interest

in Tibetan furniture
Dy Andr easen SEC RETARY

Has a special interest in Japanese haiku and tanka poetry

Si o b han C ampbell

Lecturer, Indonesian Studies, Sydney University

with an interest in Balinese art
Jo sefa Gr ee n

General editor of TAASA Review. Collector of

Chinese ceramics
Bo ri s Kaspiev

Private collector of Asian art with a particular interest

in the Buddhist art of the Himalayan region
M IN- JUNG KIM

Curator of Asian Arts & Design at the Powerhouse

Museum
Natalie Seiz

Assistant Curator, Asian Art, AGNSW with an interest

in modern/contemporary Asian Art
CHRISTINA SUMNER

Former Principal Curator, Design and Society,

Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
M a rg ar et White

Former President and Advisor of the Friends of Museums,

Singapore, with special interest in Southeast Asian art,
ceramics and textiles
TAASA Am bas sad or
Jackie Menzies

Emeritus Curator of Asian Art, Art Gallery of NSW.

President of TAASA from 1992 2000
state rep r es entative s

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

M elanie Eas tbur n

Curator of Asian Art, National Gallery of Australia

QUEENSLAND
Ru ssel l Stor er

Curatorial Manager, Asian and Pacific Art,

Queensland Art Gallery
SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Textiles literally weave a thread throughout

everyones lives: it is the first material one
comes in contact with shortly after birth,
and it acts as a final shroud when one leaves
this earth. Textiles sooth, protect, shelter and
identify you. No wonder then that the mere
mention of textiles conjures up a lot of passion
amongst TAASA members.
Shortly after the inauguration of TAASA
the idea of a special textile focus group was
proposed by Judith Rutherford. A call to arms
quickly resulted in the very first meeting
in 1994. Ann Bakers suggestion to set up a
rigorous Study Group that expected members
to be highly committed to researching and
promoting all aspects of Asian textiles was
enthusiastically adopted.
Thus the TAASA Textile Study Group (TSG)
was born and in itself can be considered as a
textile: a vibrant patchwork encompassing
hands-on experience, analysis of textile objects,
reviews of artists, exhibitions, publications,
and the like. The TSG has become stronger
than ever thanks to a committed, active core
of people, some of them foundation members.
Publishing a dedicated textile issue on this,
the 20th anniversary of the TSG was an
opportunity not to be missed.
This issue then, acts simultaneously as a
celebration of Asian textiles and as recognition
of, and dedication to all those people who have
so generously offered their time, expertise,
knowledge and general support to keep all
aspects of textiles firmly in the spotlight.
As part of this celebration, a Textile Symposium
was held on 19 July at the Powerhouse
Museum, Sydney. The first three articles in
this issue present summaries of the papers
presented at the symposium.
Susan Scollay opened with a keynote address
which focused on the cross-cultural influences
of symbols and imagery transmitted through
textiles, in particular woven textiles. She
explores how specific designs, colours and
textile items were successfully exploited to
identify and visually enhance political and
socio-economic power.

Ja me s Be n nett

Curator of Asian Art, Art Gallery of South Australia

VICTORIA
Caro l C ain s

Curator Asian Art, National Gallery of Victoria International

This was followed by Siobhan Campbell, a

scholar whose research is firmly located in
Balinese material culture. Her article examines
how symbolism found on Balinese woven,
embroidered and painted cloths continues
to play a vital role in contemporary Balinese
cultural and ritual life as a means of storytelling
and articulating Balinese worldviews.
Rounding off the symposium, Christina
Sumner, a longstanding member of the TSG,

explored the history of the boteh (paisley)

motif. She presents us with a chronological
trajectory of this universally recognised
design, giving us a better understanding of
the impact it had, and continuous to have, on
modern-day textiles.
The use of graphic symbols on cloth is
further examined by Margaret White in her
article, which investigates the use of Arabic
calligraphy on batik cloths of Southeast
Asia. This is a welcome enquiry, as it appears
this area is a little neglected in modern day
scholarly pursuits.
Both Carole Douglas and Sarah Tucker
reflect on personal experiences prompted by
specific textile pieces. Carole vividly recalls
her conversation with Rabari women in
the village of Bhujodi, Gujarat, who are still
producing the famed ludi (wedding shawl).
In light of rapid industrialisation, access to
technology and economic prosperity she
wonders what the future holds for the women
and their textiles traditions. Sarahs memories
of living as a young girl in the Baluchistan
region of Pakistan were jolted by the sight
of a well-used and worn ralli (quilt) from
Thatta, Sindh. Like Carole, she recognises the
ongoing resourcefulness and creativity of the
women who make them today.
Belinda von Mengersen approaches Asian
textiles from a very different perspective,
providing us with a rare glimpse into creative
textile practice in her examination of the work
of two prominent contemporary artists, Ruth
Hadlow and Wendy Lugg. She describes the
dialogue between their initial inspiration West Timors woven textiles (Hadlow) and
Japanese hand-stitched Boro (Lugg) - and
their subsequent artistic response.
Gay Spies invites us to sample her favourite
piece, an exquisite Muang Hun tube-skirt,
produced for Khmu shamans who were living
in northwest Laos. Min-Jung Kim tempts us
with a preview of a major jewellery exhibition
at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney starting in
September. Whilst Charlotte Galloway reminds
us of the importance of cataloguing museum
artefacts as she informs us of her ongoing work
in the Sri Ksetra Museum in Myanmar.
We trust you enjoy this special issue of the
TAASA Review.
This issue also provides a summary on p29
of the TAASA AGM held in May. We would
like to thank outgoing members of the TAASA
Management Committee for their contribution
and welcome our new members, who are listed
on this page.

TRANSLATING T E XTIL E S : P O E TRY, P ROFIT AND P OLITI C S

IN T H E I M AG E RY OF T H E W O V E N ART OF ASIA
Susan Scollay

n increasingly important topic for art

historians in this century has been that
of crossing cultures. The University of
Melbourne addressed the theme in 2008 when
it hosted a major international conference
aimed at loosening the boundaries between
various fields of art history. Professor
Howard Morphey of the ANU, one of the
conference organisers, noted that the discipline
of art history was established after the
Enlightenment as a discipline that encouraged
the view that art happened only in Europe, and
that European art had become the reference
point for serious scholarship. Morphey said
that, as an anthropologist, he would like art
historians to learn to translate art in the same
way as a language must be translated.

His appeal resonated with those working in

the field of Asian art history seeking to explore
the ways distinct cultures have traditionally
encountered and interacted with each other.
The word translate in a literal sense means to
carry across but, in a scholarly sense, has been
used in recent years to describe the complex
process whereby tangible and intangible
culture circulates within and beyond its place
of origin. In the context of the woven arts of

Asia, the mechanisms of circulation result in

imagery being understood, interpreted and
re-interpreted ie translated in new ways.
Asian textiles carry imagery and symbols
transformed over time by faith, travelling
stories, long distance trade, the ebb and
flow of fashion in dress and interiors, and
through the rise and fall of princely states and
imperial power.
The oldest-known evidence of textile weaving
in Asia is an imprint of a woven textile on
two pieces of clay found at the Neolithic
site at Jarmo, in present-day Iraq and dated
to 7,500 BCE (Barber 1994: 78). However, in
terms of understanding the circulation of
images, a useful place to start is in northeast
India where in the 3rd century BCE the
spiritual teachings of Buddha began to be
disseminated at Magadha (Bihar), one of
the oldest settled places in the world. As the
Buddhas teachings began to be recognised
farther afield, spreading into China for
example in the 1st century CE, it became
customary for key elements of the faith
including scenes from the life of the Buddha
to be painted onto temple banners made of
cloth (Hartel 1982: 21). Silk banners became

a key component of Buddhist ceremonies,

although scholars are not sure whether the
practice of using silk banners spread to China
from India via Central Asia, or whether the
practice spread outwards from Central Asia
into both India and China around the same
time (Xinru 1988: 68).
From the 1st century CE onwards, in the
Arabian Peninsula, well before the revelation
of the Koran to the Prophet Muhammad and
the emergence of the new faith of Islam in
the 7th century, tribes met for regular poetry
competitions. Their gathering point was near
the site of what is now the Kaaba in Mecca
and, tradition says, the best verses were
embroidered onto cloth banners hung up
for everyone to see (Irwin 2000: 67). From
antiquity, in this and other ways, textiles
conveyed meaning across Asia.
By the end of the first millennium CE a great
Buddhist civilisation flourished in Central
Asia, and caravans carried goods along trading
paths that stretched from China all the way
to Rome, along what Europeans in the 19th
century called the Silk Route or Silk Road.
The main vestment worn by Buddhist monks

Buddhist priests robe (kesa), brocaded twill weave with supplementary weft patterning, silk and metallic thread,
122 x 198 cm., Japan, 18th century, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

fragment of silk velvet with gold-covered thread (DETAIL), displaying the intemani design, 32 x 42 cm.,
Bursa, Ottoman Turkey, 14501550, Victoria & Albert Museum, London

was a flat, rectangular garment known in

Sanskrit as a kashaya, in China as a jiasha and in
the Japanese Buddhist tradition as a kesa.
The garment had ancient origins. Carved
images from the Indus Valley dating to 2,000
BCE suggest that ascetics wore comparable
garments at that time. Stone cylinder seals
excavated in the region depict male figures
seated in a posture of yogic meditation similar
to that portrayed in images of the Buddha
2,000 years later. All kesa were characterised
by a distinctive structure of patches of fabric,
either 7 or 9, pieced together in strips around
a central column. It was crucial that the fabric
was discarded or cut up from something else
so that it had no material value. But over
time, wealthy donors gained merit by giving
expensive cloth to monasteries or individual
monks or nuns to be cut up for kesa.
The illustrated silk fabric highlighted with
metal-covered thread used for the body of
the Japanese kesa depicts swallows among
willow branches on a reverse-swastika fret
ground. In Buddhist thought the reverse
swastika was a symbol of infinity. The corner
and central patches with pine cones on a gold
ground come from a different fabric, possibly
Noh theatre robes or some other luxurious
garment. Patched as required and symbolic
of the renunciation of material wealth, but
bearing delicate images and motifs previously
associated with an elite, the formulaic structure
of the kesa, rather than its images, acted as a
text conveying its meaning. So the garments
fashioned in this way sent messages not
only coded in the images painted, woven or
embroidered on their surfaces, but also by their
shape and means of construction and the fact
that they were translations ie carried across
from one owner to another, thereby signifying
another purpose, a different meaning.
This applied too to some motifs, such as
the intemani design, that originated in the
context of Central Asian Buddhism and was
reinterpreted centuries later at the courts of
the Islamic Ottoman sultans in Thrace and
Anatolia. Some of the mechanisms involved
in this cultural translation resulted from the
exchanges that took place along the northern
border with present-day China when nomadic
Turko-Mongol people from the north began
to move south. Despite the building of the
fortified Great Wall in an attempt to keep
the invaders out, the settled Chinese, with
their vastly inferior horses, had difficulty in
warding off the mounted Turkic invaders.
Thus began a mutually-beneficial exchange of
nomad horses for Chinese silk; an exchange
that had long lasting consequences for the
history of textiles in Asia.

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

The intemani design is characterised by either

a combination of three round balls and two
wavy lines, or three balls and two wavy lines
standing alone. The wavy lines were derived
from the stripes of a tiger pelt, and the three
dots from those of the leopard, both animals
associated with power in ancient Iran and
Central Asia. In the medieval Persian epic,
the Shahnama, the warrior hero, Rustam, was
usually depicted wearing a tiger skin robe
and/or headgear. Frescos dating to the 7th
century in Central Asia depict Bodhisattvas
(Buddhist saints) adorned with tiger stripes
and the three-ball emblem.
As the Turkic tribes moved westwards from
Central Asia from the 7th century, many of
them converted to Islam from Buddhism and
in the process the intemani motif became
associated less with strength of the spirit and
more with political power. The great 14thcentury Turko-Mongol leader, Timur (or
Tamerlane as he was known in Europe), used
the motif extensively at his court in Samarkand,

and his descendents, the Mughal emperors of

India, were familiar with its symbolism. Tipu
Sultan (175099), the renowned ruler of the
kingdom of Mysore, who died defending his
territory from troops of the British East India
Company, made extensive use of tiger stripes
and the intemani motif as a personal emblem
in his clothing and court decor. But it was the
Ottoman Turkic dynasty in Anatolia who reinterpreted it, from the pages of manuscripts
of the Timurid workshop tradition. They
translated the motif wholeheartedly onto
court costume, carpets and textiles and other
media such as ceramic tiles, woodwork and
precious metals all designed to increase the
power of Ottoman imperial image.
By using motifs from an older artistic vocabulary,
they did not necessarily carry over the
symbolic meanings of the originals, but rather
highlighted the implied luxury and powerful
Turkic identity of the intemani design for their
newly-formed court culture. As the Ottoman
empire became more cosmopolitan and more

knotted pile carpet with intemani design and

stylised flower and vine meander border (DETAIL),
Rustam fights the white demon (Detail), Folio from Firdausi, Shahnama, Copied in Shiraz

Konya/Karapinar district, Ottoman Turkey, 18th century.

c. 1430 for Ibrahim Sultan, Bodleian Library, University of Oxford

Photo: Susan Scollay

Venetian rivalry, and thus promoted new

sea routes to the Spice Islands and South
East Asia.

powerful, reaching a cultural peak in the 16th

century under Sleyman the Magnificent, court
costume adopted a predominantly floral and
highly-regulated design repertoire, but the
intemani design endured as a court favourite
for textiles and carpets.
The capacity of textiles to translate meaning
was exploited by the Ottomans and other
Asian empires by introducing sumptuary laws
and through manipulation of colour. Images
from illustrated histories produced in the
reign of Sleyman the Magnificent suggest the
Ottomans used political messages conveyed
by clothing in subtle and sophisticated ways,
such as during the recruitment of Christian
boys for education at the Ottoman court and
eventual life-long service to the empire. Under
this system, known as the devirme, Ottoman
officials and Janissary troops selected suitable
candidates from the many Christian towns
throughout the Balkans who were subject to
the jurisdiction of the sultan.
An official recorded the recruits ages and
family details and then, in front of their
grieving families and fellow townspeople,
the newly levied boys were dressed in special
red robes. This ritual spectacle mimicked
the ceremonies carried out at court when
luxurious robes of honour were presented as
rewards for exemplary service or to secure

loyalty. The distinctive red colour of the

fabric from which the childrens robes were
made was used extensively at the Ottoman
court for investiture and to signal political
power. It was also the spiritually significant
colour of the Bektai dervish brotherhood
to which most Janissaries were aligned.
Once identically robed in red in full view of
their local community, the boys were clearly
identified as members of a distinct group and
marked as the property of the sultan and,
by extension, the Ottoman state and the realm
of Islam.
The dye that produced the colour of the
devirme childrens robes is one that became
highly prized in 18th century Europe as
Turkey red or rouge dAndrinople. Its
production was a specialty of Edirne, the
imperial capital of the Ottomans from 1360
to 1453 a city better known to Europeans
as Adrianople. The curators of a recent
Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition in
New York argue that the year 1453, when
the Ottoman Turks took Constantinople and
moved their capital there from Edirne, was
pivotal in the global trade in textiles. Exhibits
in Interwoven Globe: the Worldwide Textile Trade
15001800 support the idea that overland
trade networks along the Silk Route to
Constantinople/Istanbul and into Europe
via Venice were threatened by Ottoman/

Thereafter, a different range of exotic textiles,

especially painted and printed Indian cotton
textiles, began to circulate further afield.
These were far superior to anything being
produced in Europe at that time and as
their designs began to be translated to meet
market forces in Asia as well as in Europe, they
became a source of inspiration for European
manufacturers and for what Europeans later
began to describe as fashion (Lemire and
Rielo 2008: 888).
This is a summary of the keynote lecture given
at the TAASA symposium, Symbolism and
Imagery in Asian Textiles at the Powerhouse
Museum, Sydney, Saturday 19 July, 2014.
Dr Susan Scollay is an independent art historian and
curator. She is an elected Fellow of the Royal Asiatic
Society and a contributing editor to the international
journal, HALI: Carpet, Textile and Islamic Art.

REFERENCES
Barber, Elizabeth Wayland, 1994. Womens Work: The First Twenty
Thousand Years. W.W. Norton, New York.
Hartel, Herbert, 1982. Along the Ancient Silk Routes: Central Asian
Art from the West Berlin State Museums. Metropolitan Museum of
Art, New York.
Irwin, Robert, 2000. Night Horses and the Desert. New York:
The Overlook Press.
Lemire, Beverley and Giorgio Riello. East and West: Textiles and
Fashion in Eurasia, Journal of Social History, Summer 2008,
887916.
Scollay, Susan. Clothing as a Political Tool in the Ottoman Empire,
Journal of Historical and European Studies, Vol.1, 2007, 7791.
Xinru Liu, 1988. Ancient India and Ancient China: Trade and
Religious Exchanges AD 1600, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

T E XTIL E S IN T H E SY M BOLI C UNI V E RS E OF BALI

Siobhan Campbell
Flag (kober), Kamasan, natural pigment on cotton cloth, 67x79cm.
Forge Collection Australian Museum E074237, Photo Emma Furno

he range of motifs, techniques and

materials characterising Balinese textiles
belong to a vast universe of symbolic meaning.
As a place, the island of Bali is a potent symbol
in itself: paradise to foreigners enchanted by
the people and culture, to others an untainted
society shaped by the adoption of Indic models
of kingship and Hindu Buddhist worldviews
or a Hindu enclave in a majority Muslim
Indonesia. From a historical perspective, the
narrative, symbolic and ornamental features
of Balinese woven, embroidered and painted
cloths are testimony to the movements of
people, goods and ideas along the trade
routes of Southeast Asia. However symbols,
their messages and meanings, are subject to
ongoing rearticulation and as such continue
to play a vital role in contemporary Balinese
cultural and ritual life.

This brief survey is intended to identify

some possible approaches to thinking about
symbolism in Balinese textiles. Taken on
face value, symbolism relates to the figural
properties of cloth and what is depicted
in terms of an iconography and artistic
vocabulary common to the visual arts,
architecture, written texts and performance
genres. In this sense a key aspect of the
symbolic universe to which Balinese textiles
belong relates to narrative, whether stories
of indigenous origin or accretions of the
Indian epics. The complex forms of narrative
congruence between the various art forms
represent a means of communicating that is
bound up with the oral telling of stories.
The figures depicted on cloths relate to the
shadow-puppet theatre (wayang), both in
terms of the manner of their depiction (in
profile or in three-quarter view) and the stories
they refer to. Key episodes from this corpus of
widely known narratives are familiar to many
Balinese so textiles are able to refer to these
narratives in an abbreviated or shorthand
manner. For instance, the single image of
flaming demon heads found on many textiles
(such as the breast or shoulder cloth depicted
on p8) may be understood in the context of the
creation story of the Adiparwa, when the gods
decapitate the head of Kala Rau to prevent
him from swallowing the elixir of immortality.
With some drops of the elixir still in his mouth
when his head was severed from his body, Kala
Raus head becomes immortal and thereafter
he seeks revenge on the sun and moon by
devouring them and producing eclipses. The

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

snake (naga) depicted on the cloth is associated

with the same world creation story as the
snakes formed the ropes attached to Mount
Meru, when the gods carried the mountain
from the island of Java to Bali.
Balinese are also able to identify most
figures depicted on cloths as character types,
recognisable by iconographic indicators of
social status. While headdress and hairstyle
are particularly important in this regard it
is notable that on painted cloths, a tradition
emanating from the village of Kamasan in
East Bali, costume pattern is not one of the
attributes dictated by convention. The motifs
or patterns on the costumes of individual
characters are one of the few aspects that
makers can vary at will, with the exception
of a few key characters who are recognisable
with reference to their textile motifs.

The mighty figure of Bima is always dressed

in the potent black and white checked-cloth

(kain poleng), along with his servants Mredah

and Twalen. In the illustrated example, a flag
(kober) dating from the early 20th century
depicts Bimas father, the god Beiyu, who is
distinguishable from his son solely by the
god-spot on his forehead. While being dressed
in the black and white loincloth conveys a
clear message of his potency, the artist has
emphasised this aspect of his character by
draping a cloth with the same pattern around
his neck (with a snake) and dressing him in a
pair of red and white checked pants.
The double-ikat cloths produced in the
village of Tenganan also belong to the shared
repository of wayang imagery. Recalling stone
relief sculptures found on 13th-14th century
East Javanese Majapahit temples, the design
known as wayang kebo is characterised by a
central four-pointed mandala enclosing a
stepped rectangle, which divides the cloth
into semi-circular quadrants. The two scenes
within each quadrant are a mirror image

Breast or shoulder cloth (anteng or cerik), Negara, Bali, Silk, gold threads, supplementary weft, 53.5 x 206 cm. Collection Dr John Yu, AC. Photo Tim Connolly

of each other and contain human figures,

depicted with their bodies in three-quarter
view and their heads in profile.
On many examples the figures are in groups
of three. In a more unusual example (not
depicted), there are only two figures: of a priest
and, possibly, one devotee. The priestly figure ,
recognisable by the mitre on his head, appears
to be in homage before the figure of a refined
male, with the lobster-craw (supit urang)
hairstyle, suggesting that he is a semi-divine
character. Undoubtedly though, the capacity
of these textiles to protect their users from
ailments, pollution and danger is not so much
related to the picture-like representation on
them but to their materiality. To be used as part
of a textile offering (rantasan), the textile
must be unblemished and uncut, meaning
that the cloth is taken off the loom as a
continuous loop with a section of unwoven
warp threads intact.
As in other parts of the Indonesian
archipelago, imported Indian cloths also

have significant functions in ceremonial

contexts. While the double ikat, silk patola
cloths from Gujarat were prestige items and
highly sought after, other types of imported
textiles also function interchangeably and are
amalgamated with locally produced cloths.
One example illustrated in this article was
collected by the late anthropologist Anthony
Forge in 1979 from a family temple in Satria,
Klungkung.
The rectangular centrepiece is part of what
must have been a larger piece of imported
Indian cotton textile, hand painted with
dyes and a mordant. The floral rosette on
the Indian centrepiece appears frequently in
the Balinese artistic lexicon, here it is seen
repeated between one pair of birds in the
Balinese border design and also between
the feet of Beiyu on the cloth (flag or Kober)
discussed previously.
A cloth border has been hand sewn around
the centrepiece and painted with red and
light blue pigments and a black ink outline.

The outer design features two pairs of birds

and pairs of flaming heads (karang gelap) with
obtruding eyes, large teeth and extended
tongues. While the latter signify lightning,
they also recall the headless figure of Kala Rau
mentioned above, and are often seen on the
entrance gateways to temples. Accentuating
the architectural iconography, the double curl
ornament between each head resembles the
ornamentation found on the tops of many
temple gateways (pucak paduraksa).
The rectangular cloths (langse) used as
curtains to screen offering platforms also
combine painted textiles and imported
printed fabric. Paintings by Kamasan artists
on white cotton cloth are made into curtains
with the addition of lengths of imported
fabric. The other important component of
these curtains are the Chinese coins (kepeng)
with a hole in the middle sewn along the top
of the fabric to function as curtain rings. These
coins were once used as currency and tied
together on strings of two hundred coins, but
are now made in Bali and serve a ceremonial
function as money given to the gods. They
are composed of five metals symbolising the
gods: steel for Wisnu; silver for Iswara; copper
for Brahma; bronze for Mahadewa, and gold
for Siwa.
Chinese stories have also made their way
into the narratives depicted on Balinese
textiles, with the story of the butterfly lovers
or Sampik and Eng Tae being particularly
popular on the embroidered cloths (kain
sulaman) of West Bali (Fischer and Cooper
1998: 87-89). This story, serialised in Javanese
language newspapers in the late 19th century
with Balinese versions circulating around the
same time, relates the tragedy of a girl called
Eng Tae who disguises herself as a man in
order to attend a male school, where she meets
fellow student Sampik. The women who
make these cloths often facilitate specific
identification of the figures they depict by
including text on the cloth.

Sitas Ordeal by Fire, Langse, artist Nyoman Laya, Kamasan, natural pigment on cotton cloth, 91x225cm.
Forge Collection Australian Museum E074169, Photo Emma Furno

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

Temple Cloth, Satria, Klungkung, natural pigment on cotton cloth, 39x54cm. Forge Collection Australian Museum E076400, Photo Emma Furno

This article has identified an important element

in the way Balinese eyes appreciate textiles
which relates particularly to the implicit
recognition of narratives. By emphasising
symbols as a form of communication linked
to narrative, it is possible to appreciate that the
makers and users of Balinese textiles value them
as conveying religious or spiritual allegiances,
historical accounts, political commentaries
and life stories. This is particularly evident
on textiles where particular episodes and
characters are isolated, making a single image
stand for something.

and about ways of understanding and

interpreting textiles that leave little doubt as
to their ongoing importance in articulating
Balinese worldviews.
This is a summary of a talk given at the TAASA
symposium, Symbolism and Imagery in Asian
Textiles at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney,
Saturday 19 July, 2014.
Siobhan Campbell completed her postgraduate study
on Balinese art in the Department of Indonesian
Studies at the University of Sydney in 2013. She has
recently curated an exhibition of Indonesian textiles,

However, understanding symbolism and

meaning is not simply a matter of decoding
elements of the narrative content, it depends
on a further range of interpretive possibilities
related to the choice of particular narratives
and episodes. Some textile producers see
their role as didactic, with a responsibility
to make supposedly mythological narratives
significant by applying their messages to
present-day concerns. In this sense they
encourage the viewers and wearers of their
cloths to elicit meanings by reference and
association and they may also play visual
images and textual associations against
each other. Entering this world of Balinese
symbolism with foreign eyes challenges us
to think about Balinese knowledge systems

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

Encounters with Bali: A Collectors Journey, Indonesian

Textiles from the Collection of Dr. John Yu AC and Dr.
George Soutter, AM, at Mosman Art Gallery and has
been awarded a 2014 Endeavour Research Fellowship
to conduct further fieldwork on material culture in Bali.
[siobhan.campbell@sydney.edu.au]

REFERENCES

The Oriental Rug Society of NSW presents

Unexpected Treasures:
oriental rugs and
textiles bazaar
A unique chance to acquire beautiful
things at affordable prices. Carpets,
kilims, embroideries, hangings,
costume items, tribal weavings
and more from Turkey, Central
Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, Southeast
Asia and elsewhere.
Saturday 8 November 2014

Joseph Fischer and Thomas Cooper, 1998. The Folk Art of Bali: The
Narrative Tradition, Oxford University Press, Kuala Lumpur.

St Mathias Church Hall

471-475 Oxford St Paddington NSW
10 am 3 pm
Be early!
Further information at
www.rugsociety.org.au

FRO M P IN E C ON E TO P AISL E Y: T H E UBI Q UITOUS B O T E H

Christina Sumner
Wool shawl, jacquard weave, Paisley, Scotland, 1860-70.
Collection: Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, Sydney. Photographer unknown.

he boteh motif, now commonly known

as paisley pattern, is as familiar to us
as stripes, polka dots and herringbone.
Resembling a rounded leaf or teardrop whose
pointed tip curls gently over, the boteh motif
is strongly associated, by students of textile
history, with the Kashmir shawl industry
and, from the late 1700s, with the production
of imitative shawls in European centres,
including the town of Paisley in southern
Scotland.

The development of the boteh motif in Kashmir

and its transmission to Europe is a fascinating
tale that can be extended backwards in time
to seek its ancestry in ancient Babylon and/
or Persia and forward in time to look at more
recent and contemporary incarnations. For
simplicity, the term boteh will in the main
be used throughout, although over time
and place it has also been called pine, cone,
pinecone, floral boteh and cone boteh, as well
as leaf, teardrop and in Kashmir itself buta,
which means flower in Hindi. In southern
India, Tamils call this motif mankolam meaning
mango motif and in Central Asia it is a bodum
or almond. To American and British quilters,
the boteh motif is Persian pickle and British
pear respectively.
The origins of the boteh
It has been argued that the origin of the boteh
can be found in ancient Babylon, where
teardrop forms symbolised the growing shoots
of the nourishing date palm, then revered
as the tree of life. Boteh is in fact a Persian
word meaning a plant, while boteh jegdeh is
Persian for both the pinecone motif itself
and the cypress tree, a Zoroastrian symbol
of life and eternity. Attention has also been
drawn to the wing shape of the mythological
Persian simurgh, the benevolent creature that
became the symbol of the Sassanians, who
ruled from around 200 to 650 CE. The simurgh
was said to be a distributor of seeds, and so
relates symbolically to the cypress tree as treeof-life that appeared towards the end of the
Sassanian period (Reilly 1987, Eduljee 2014).
Further evidence of the motifs Persian
lineage are the stylised, boteh-shaped leaves in
silk fragments of the 6th-7th centuries found
at Akhmim in Upper Egypt, which had come
briefly under Sassanian control. As this motif
is not found elsewhere in Egypt, it seems likely
that these fabrics came from Persia. Although
proof will remain elusive, it is feasible that the

10

motif spread east from Babylon into Persia

and thence to India and Kashmir. At the same
time, the curling rounded boteh form can
perhaps simply be recognised as an archetypal
symbol of the life force and its renewal (Reilly
1987, Eduljee 2014).
The Kashmir shawl industry, throughout
which the boteh flourished, probably began
in the mid 1500s and lasted for a little over
300 years. The industry has been divided into
four periods, as determined by the prevailing
political masters: the first is the Mughal period
(1586-1753), followed by the Afghan (17531819), Sikh (1819-1846) and Dogra (1846-1877)
periods (Irwin 1955, Ames 1986).
The Mughal period (1586-1753)
Mughal shawls of the 1600s and 1700s are
typically quite plain with a border at each
end that features a row of slender naturalistic
flowering plants, complete with roots. These

Mughal flowers combined with Persian floral

design and developed into a more compact
floral motif, with a tilting flower head at the
top. The number of flowers growing from a
single plant gradually increased and in the
mid 1700s, towards the end of the Mughal
period, the outline of this floral motif, the
buta, began to take on the more formal outline
we associate with the boteh. Shawl design,
including the boteh motif, developed and
changed in tandem with the industry itself
which, from the late 1700s, saw the beginning
of trade in shawls to Europe, the intervention
of European entrepreneurs in Kashmiri
production, acute competition for the same
market between Kashmiri and European
producers and, with a change in European
womens fashion, the eventual collapse of
both industries.
From a technological point of view it is
still uncertain when the characteristic kani

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

Pashmina shawl on mannequin, kani weave, Kashmir c. 1820.

Collection: Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, Sydney. Photo: Sue Stafford

technique (a twill tapestry weave with double

weft interlock) was first practised in Kashmir,
but the sophistication of surviving kani
fragments of the early 1600s suggests that it
was in use by at least the late 1500s, when the
Mughal emperor Akhbar invaded Kashmir.
Akhbar ruled Kashmir for 19 years and took
a personal interest in the shawl weaving
industry. It seems likely that kani originated
in Turkestan, where related techniques were
used, and was brought to India in the 1520s in
the entourage of Akhbars grandfather Babur.
The material traditionally used for Kashmir
shawls is pashm, also known as pashmina or
cashmere, from the domesticated mountain
goat (Capra hircus) found in Ladakh and
western Tibet (Irwin 1955, Ames 1986).
The Afghan period (1753-1819)
In 1753, an Afghan invasion brought an end
to the Mughal period in Kashmir. Under
Afghan rule, the naturalistic Mughal buta
grew smaller and increasingly stylised, and
end borders appeared with small repeating
motifs rather than the traditional single
row of plants. At around the same time,
a similar boteh form based on leaf shapes
was developing independently in Persian
decorative arts and brought its own influence
to bear on the subsequent transformation of
Kashmiri buta to boteh.
Towards the end of the 1700s, some exquisitely
soft and beautifully woven Kashmir shawls
began to trickle into Europe in the baggage of
returning officials, traders and travellers. In
India, these shawls had been primarily worn
by men, but in Europe they were rapidly
appropriated by women as a fashion accessory.
Kashmiri shawl fabric was well suited to
the light cottons and classical simplicity
of womens dress in the late 1700s. When
Napoleon and his officers returned from a
campaign bearing Kashmir shawls as gifts, the
Empress Josephine became an avid collector.
There are a number of fine portraits of French
women of the early 1800s wearing Kashmir
shawls, and these serve as an excellent
documentary resource.
Although these shawls were exorbitantly
expensive, the demand in Europe in the early
1800s soon outstripped supply. European
entrepreneurs consequently sought to influence
Kashmiri production methods in order to
increase the output. In France, manufacturers
were quick to seize the economic opportunity
presented by the shortage, and competed to
produce shawls specifically designed to appeal
to European tastes. Production centres were
also established in Vienna and Russia. Shawl
making across the English Channel began in
Norwich and Edinburgh in about 1780, in the

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

mid Afghan period, with Paisley in southern

Scotland following in 1805. There were
difficulties however; it was almost impossible
to duplicate the exquisite and intricate
kani weave and pashmina was unavailable
in Europe. The extraordinary variety of
materials and blends used by European shawl
manufacturers is telling evidence of their vain
attempts at duplication (Irwin 1955, Ames
1986, Reilly 1987).
The Sikh period (1819-1846)
The beginning of the Sikh period, in the early
1800s, was one of dramatic stylistic change
for Kashmir shawls. Prior to this, design
evolution including that of the boteh had been
relatively gradual, but designs now became
much more crowded, the botehs elongated
and sinuous, and the colours rich and dark.
In order to increase the output of shawls,
to reduce costs, and so maintain a share in
the European trade, various labour-saving

devices were introduced over the years in

Kashmir. One Sikh period innovation was to
use embroidery for creating pattern, rather
than simply for joining pieces together and
disguising irregularities. Embroidered or amli
shawls could be produced for about one third
the cost of woven shawls and, at least initially,
escaped the heavy duty on shawls imposed
by the government.
In 1830 the jacquard loom was introduced
and European shawl design became more
and more complex as borders encroached on
plain centres until pattern eventually filled
the entire surface of the shawl. Even the
most intricate of patterns could be produced
rapidly and the end product was consequently
much cheaper. The looms themselves were
expensive however, and ownership of the
industry became more and more restricted
to managers and entrepreneurs, and less and
less within reach of the weavers themselves.

11

Pashmina shawl on mannequin (detail), kani weave, Kashmir c.1820.

Collection: Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, Sydney. Photo: Sue Stafford.

supported it, in both Kashmir and Europe,

collapsed. While European jacquard looms
were soon put to other uses, the Kashmiri
industry had been permanently changed. The
legacy of Kashmir remains however in the
traditional Asian boteh motif which has - as
paisley pattern - earned itself a place in the
designers classical repertoire (Irwin 1955,
Ames 1986 and Reilly 1987).
Contemporary expressions
From the early to late 1900s and into this
century, the boteh motif has again come into
its own, as variations on its simple theme
continue to proliferate globally. Paisley pattern
was hugely popular in dress, accessories and
soft furnishings in the 1920s for example
while swirling, wildly colourful paisley was
a prominent component of psychedelic art of
the 1960s and is now enjoying a reappearance
in the current fashion for retro style. The boteh
remains a perennial favourite on mens ties and
turns up regularly worldwide in, for example,
Indian saris and jewellery, English wallpaper,
Central Asian embroideries, Persian shawls
and Australian block prints. Gang affiliation is
sometimes demonstrated by matching paisley
bandannas, while the motif has also managed
to achieve notoriety among an element of the
religious far right who believe contact with the
paisley pattern endangers their immortal soul
through its association with such phenomena
as India, goat hair, prayer rugs and magicians.
Finally, the Kashmiri government is now
reviving the fine art of kani weaving with some
considerable success; sadly however in these
beautiful contemporary Kashmir shawls botehs
are curiously scarce.

In general, French taste dominated shawl

design and shawl motifs had a distinctly
European air. Such was the competition
between producers for their share of the
market that the designs of one manufacturer
were frequently imitated by another. Both
Norwich and Edinburgh complained that
Paisley pirated their designs, with the result
that in 1840 the government was persuaded
to allow protection under the patents system.
However production in Paisley soon eclipsed
output at other British centres and, by 1850,
the majority of shawls available for purchase
in Britain were made in Paisley (Irwin 1955,
Ames 1986, Levi- Strauss 1986 and Reilly 1987).
The Dogra period (1846-1877)
In 1846, after a battle with the Sikhs, the
British handed over rule of Kashmir to the
Dogra prince Raja Gulab Singh. During this
period the local shawl trade was dominated
by French merchants who had settled there

12

earlier in the century along with their own

pattern books. By about 1850, the designs
used by Kashmir shawl weavers were mainly
a local interpretation of French jacquard
patterns featuring elongated botehs among a
densely ornamented ground.

This is a summary of a talk given at the

TAASA symposium, Symbolism and Imagery
in Asian Textiles at the Powerhouse Museum,
Sydney, Saturday 19 July, 2014.
Christina Sumner OAM is a foundation member of
TAASA and formerly Principal Curator, Design and
Society at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney. Her
research interests focus on the traditional textiles of

By the mid 1860s, although production

continued in both India and Europe for some
years, the slide into oblivion had begun. In
Kashmir, the long-established tradition of fine
shawl production had been eclipsed by drastic
changes to design and fabrication. In Europe,
the introduction of the jacquard loom and also
printed shawls had brought their price down
to a level that almost all women could afford.
Fashion leaders sought new directions and the
crinoline began to shrink, first into the bustle of
the 1870s and then the narrow trailing skirts of
the 1890s, neither of which was improved by
the addition of a draped shawl. The hundredyear fashion was over, and the industries which

Central, South and Southeast Asia.

REFERENCES
Ames Frank, 1986. The Kashmir Shawl, Antique Collectors Club,
Woodbridge, England.
Eduljee, K. E., http://www.heritageinstitute.com/zoroastrianism/trade/
paisely.htm, accessed 12 July 2014.
Irwin, John, 1955. Shawls: a study in Indo-European influences,
Victoria & Albert Museum, London,.
Levi-Strauss, Monique, 1986. The Cashmere Shawl, Harry N. Abrams,
Inc., New York.
Reilly, Valerie, 1987. The official illustrated history: The Paisley Pattern,
Richard Drew, Glasgow.
Sumner, Christina. From Kashmir to Paisley: the shawl trade and the
hundred years fashion, The Australian Antique Collector, Jan-June
1993, pp.60-63.

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

V E ILS OF C H ANG E RABARI W E DDING S H A W LS

Carole Douglas
Dhebaria Rabari group, Mandvi town. Carole Douglas 2004

achhuben Karna Rabari sits in a pool of

sunlight in front of her home in Bhujodi,
central Kachchh (aka Kutch), Gujarat. She is
quietly stitching together two hand woven
lengths of cloth that will eventually become
a shawl destined for a foreign buyer. Her
fingers work deftly and she glances up
only briefly as I sit down beside her. She is
using machhi kanto (fishbone), the stitch that
traditionally joins the two halves together. In
direct contrast to her own plain black woollen
shawl that identifies her seniority and her
widowhood, this newer version is made
of finely woven, white, Australian merino
wool. Lachhuben has already decorated the
piece with lines of fine black running stitch.
Once this centre seam is completed, she will
return the finished article to local weaver
Shamji Vishram Valji who commissioned
the work. Like many traditional villages in
Kachchh, Bhujodi is made up of two separate
yet interdependent communities: Harijan
and Rabari that have existed side by side
since it was founded. Thus, in its own unique
way, this contemporary shawl represents the
coming together of the two halves - a unique
pairing that reaches far back in time.

According to the village historians records,

Bhujodi was established in 1179 CE by a
wandering pastoralist named Bhoja Rabari.
However like all histories based on oral
tradition, this remains open to interpretation
and, as Shamji pointed out, this record simply
serves as a marker for the official naming of
the village. He believes Bhujodi was settled
earlier but an official naming ceremony
ensured that the village would flourish. And
it did. Today Bhujodi is one of the oldest
functioning traditional villages in a district
that remains populated by the descendants of
its first settlers - those who came to Kachchh
in search of greener pastures.
During these early migrations of pastoral
communities, Rabari and Megwhal (Harijan)
groups moved in close proximity as they
travelled from the hinterlands of the Thar
Desert in Rajasthan and Sindh into Kachchh.
Theirs is a historically symbiotic relationship;
the former herded camels, goats and sheep
and the latter were skilled weavers (vankars).
In return for weaving cloth for the Rabari,
who considered themselves a higher caste
due to their ancestral ties with Rajput rulers,
the weavers were given surplus wool for their
own needs and land on which to farm. The

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

Rabari also closely oversaw any orders they

placed and, according to Shamji, it was not
uncommon for the customer to come to the
loom and count the warp threads to ensure
the quality of his or her product.
The original Rabari migrants eventually
divided into three distinct groups: Kachhi
Rabari who settled in the central parts of
Kachchh, Dhebaria Rabari who live in the west
and the eastern group of Vaghadia Rabari.
Over the ensuing years each group evolved
unique styles of dress that marked their distinct
identities. Shawls remain the most visible
point of difference. A practiced eye can tell at
a glance to which group a woman belongs and
her marital status by its style.
The Rabari shawl, locally called a ludi, is a
large veil cloth that covers the head and the
entire length of the body. Due to the narrow
width of the loom necessary to produce a
stable weave, traditional ludis consist of two
narrow pieces each measuring two and a half
yards and joined by hand along their length.
In some communities the centre seam and
borders are embroidered with auspicious
motifs that signify their beliefs. These include
symbols to protect against bad influences and
to attract prosperity and fertility. Vaghadia
Rabari traditionally embroidered raised

medallions on their shawls into which spices

were tightly packed. I have been offered two
explanations for this practice; one Rabari
elder explained that they warded off evil
spirits while a local collector said they were
filled with tobacco to ward off insects. There
is a likely element of truth in both.
The ludi created for a brides wedding is a
significant part of her dowry and Lachhuben
recalls the making of hers with great clarity.
I am 85 now she tells me I was 15 when
I moved from my village, Makhana, into
my husbands home here in Bhujodi. She
adjusts her shawl and I glimpse a thinning
hairline common to women who have worn
the heavy woollen garment for their entire
adult lives. She continues her tale with pride
as she recounts how she shore her own sheep
and gave the wool to a local weaver. After the
vankar gave me the finished work I sent it to the
Khatris (dyeing community) in Nakhatrana.
They made the best black dye. While the
original shawl is long gone, Lachhuben assures
me it was simple. Only plain black wool and
no bharat (embroidery) apart from the stitch I
used to join the pieces together. Same as this!
She pushes the new piece at me and laughs.
Why black wool? I asked. I have often
wondered how Rabari women cope in the

13

Machine embroidered motif and seam, Dhebaria Rabari.

Embroidered motif to be appliqued onto Kachhi shawl. Carole Douglas 2002

extreme heat of summer. According to Shamjis

interpretation of Lachhubens long response,
the Rabari were gifted wool by Lord Krishna
and hence regard it as the pure fibre. The
tradition of black rests in the annals of Rabari
lore: it marks the ritual mourning for the death
of a king and furthermore it is widely believed
that this death was the event that provoked the
Rabaris migration into Kachchh.
Our conversation was interrupted by young
children arriving home from school and we
stopped for chai. A few younger women had
also joined us and their arrival prompted
me to ask Lachhuben about her daughters
wedding shawls. She said that her elder
daughter had purchased hers undyed from a
hawker who came regularly from outside the
village. Her younger daughter had purchased
hers directly in Bhujodi. No reason was given
for this. However both shawls were tie-dyed
by a Khatri from Moti Virani, who would
regularly travel the many kilometres from
his village to Bhujodi to collect orders before
returning home to fulfil them. On a different
note, her granddaughter, who is preparing
for her wedding next year, bought her shawl
already tie-dyed in the local market. In just
one generation the closed loop system that
had existed for more than half a millennium
between the Rabaris, Vankars and Khatris was
unequivocally broken.

14

The patterns tied into traditional ludis reveal a

set of complex codes that denote marital and
maternal status. For example, Vaghadia Rabari
women traditionally wear different designs
during different phases of their married life.
When I met with dyer, Iqbal Sumar Khatri of
Samakhiali, he had brought along five rough
woollen shawls tied in various designs; the
first one was for the marriage day and each
successive shawl signified the wearers
number of children until the fourth child, at
which time the original wedding shawl was
worn again. For example the design on one
shawl, morandi, is worn after the birth of the
first child. The border motif is called ubhadkhabad which means up and down and, as
weaver Shamji pointed out, it refers to the
terrain of Kachchh.
None of these shawls were joined or
embroidered and, as Iqbal lamented, in these
days of lightweight ready-made shawls, there
is no longer any demand for his work. In a
similar vein, contemporary Kachhi Rabari
shawls are tie-dyed in red and black and
frequently incorporate scorpion (fertility) and
swastika (auspiciousness) motifs. And while
Dhebaria Rabari were enforced to wear plain
black due to a community ban on dowry
embroidery, machine embroidered motifs
are now in popular demand by brides to be.
In the Dhebaria hub of Anjar, special stores

Carole Douglas 2013

sell plain shawls and intricately machined

designs for patches and borders and women
spend considerable time choosing the right
combinations. This fashion has allowed many
Dhebaria women to substantially increase
their household income by producing these
embellishments on high-powered industrial
sewing machines.
It is the natural progression of any vigorous
culture for each generation to introduce
change. Lachhubens granddaughter has
taken a great leap in design. In her innovation,
she is hand embroidering the border of her
ludi on a wide piece of polyester that will later
be attached to the end of her store bought
woollen shawl. Lachhuben points out that
she can later remove the border and turn
it into a decoration for her home for, unlike
herself, her granddaughter will not wear her
wedding shawl more than once. Modernity
manifests itself in many ways and while
the younger generation has adapted to suit
changing trends in their embellishment and
use, woollen veil cloths are still mandatory
wedding wear and continue to play a role in
the property transfers of marriage.
I had brought along a contemporary wedding
shawl for Lachhubens comment. It is liberally
embellished with brightly coloured synthetic
yarns, sequins and ricrac braid. While the

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

Morandi design denotes wearers marital status.

Heavily embroidered border typical of Vaghad shawls. Carole Douglas 2006

embroidery skills of the bride are evident in

her rendition of bavaliyo (interlacing) stitch
she has replaced mirrors with plastic sequins
and the braid replaces the traditional zigzag
pattern created with time-consuming chain
stitch. The central join is machined using
multi-coloured metallic thread. As we unfurl
the shawl, the small crowd closes in. They
examine the handwork carefully and tell me
it is saru che, very good, as they admire its
flair. When I ask Lachhuben about the sequins
and braid she makes little comment except to
note that one can buy these things easily in the
market and, after all, it makes the work easier.
And when I asked her opinion about the sheer
quantity of embellishment she informs me
that wedding shawls became more elaborate
when Kachhi Rabaris were exposed to
those of other groups. When we saw them
(Vaghadia) sometimes with their fancy shawls
we began to put more work into ours.
I brought forth a final shawl on which ochre
and green tie-dyed patterns contrast strongly
against its dark brown ground - the result
of overdyeing with indigo. It is densely
hand embroidered in predominantly yellow,
orange and white cotton thread and its ends
are weighted with mirrors anchored firmly
in place with tightly packed chain stitch. It
lies heavily on the head and shoulders - like
a solid echo of the earth from which it sprang

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

Carole Douglas 2014

- rough, warm and protective. Strategically

placed along its centre seam are round motifs
with small raised centres. Shamji sniffed at the
mounds. Ah he said: Dried tobacco I think
to keep moths away. They both identified
the shawl as being from Vaghad, the region
that had perhaps brought some influence to
bear on Kachhi style.
The morning had worn on and I could hear
the clatter of lunch in preparation. Lachhuben
was weary of visitors and it was time to take
our leave. It occurred to me as I watched
her carefully putting the white shawl to one
side that the world of Rabari and vankars
has certainly shifted on its axis. Rabari no
longer shear their own sheep to supply
wool to vankars to weave into ludis, in return
giving them surplus wool for their own use.
Instead, many entrepreneurial weavers such
as Shamji Vishram Valji use Australian merino
wool, imported via Rajasthan, and employ
hundreds of Rabari women to embellish plain
shawls with mirrors and stitch to supply a
hungry market place. Khatris still figure in
the equation although their traditions too
have evolved. And who knows what the next
generation will create? In the current Kachchh
scenario of rapid industrialisation, access to
technology and economic prosperity it will be
interesting to observe in which direction the
ludi will evolve.

NOTE: This article is based on fieldwork,

interviews and friendship. Thanks to my colleague
Aarati Halbe, Sahjeevan; Vankar Shamji Vishram
Valji and Lachhuben Karna Rabari, Bhujodi;
Vanka Rabari, collector, Bhujodi; Pankaj Shah,
QASAB and Kuldip Gadhvi, Bhuj for their last
minute checking of my translations. I also wish to
acknowledge the many Rabari met on highways,
in villages, homes and fields who have allowed me
to take photographs and given me insights into a
deeply traditional way of life.
Carole Douglas is an award winning textile artist,
educator and environmental advocate who has spent
the past 18 years travelling and working in India. Well
known for her ground breaking exhibition project
Resurgence (Manly Art Gallery and Museum 2003)
in aid of Indian artisans after the devastating Gujarat
earthquake, Carole has developed specialised tours to
the region to continue her support of traditional life
and livelihood. She also produces, under her company
label Desert Traditions, a range of goods that support
tradition, the environment and local enterprise.

15

A F I N E P O S S E S S I O N : J E W E L L E R Y A N D I D E N T I T Y - ASIAN BODY
ADORN M E NT AT T H E P O W E R H OUS E M US E U M
Min-Jung Kim and Christina Sumner

CEREMONIAL HEADPIECE (LAMBA), SHEET GOLD ALLOY, REPOUSS, SUMBA, INDONESIA, 1880-1950,
COLLECTION OF THE MUSEUM OF APPLIED ARTS AND SCIENCES. IMAGE COURTESY OF JANE TOWNSEND

ecorating ones body with precious

materials is perhaps universal cultural
behaviour among humans. However, the
value placed on materials and designs can
vary from culture to culture. The Museum
of Applied Arts & Sciences in Sydney (also
known as the Powerhouse Museum) is
opening an exhibition titled A Fine Possession:
jewellery and identity in September. The
exhibition showcases a spectacular selection
of over 700 pieces of jewellery from Australia,
Europe, Asia, Africa and the Pacific. It
celebrates the central place of jewellery in
peoples lives from antiquity to the present
day, and from around the world. The objects
on display are jewellery and body adornments
sourced from major cultural institutions and
many individual collectors as well as the
Museums own collection.

Among the iconic and rarely seen items on

display will be ancient Egyptian scarab jewels,
a magnificent 19th century tiara and necklace
made from exotic beetles, Australian goldrush jewellery, Chinese kingfisher-feather
and finely carved jade ornaments, a Southern
Cross diamond brooch in the form of Charles
Kingsford-Smiths legendary aircraft, and a
necklace worn by Nicole Kidman in the film
Moulin Rouge. A striking range of students
contemporary studio jewellery will complete the
selection. The exhibition is organised into nine
themes: Belief & Magic, Love & Death, Nature
& Culture, Style & Revival, Gold & Identity,
Status & Wealth, Men & Adornment, Modernity
& Change and Revolution & Evolution. Objects
from different cultures including Asian cultures
will be shown in four of the nine sections.
The exhibition is a great opportunity to bring
the Museums long-standing collection of
Asian jewellery and body adornments out of
the vault and on public display. Whilst Asian
body adornments have rarely been the focus
of any museum collection, the Museum has
collected them since its establishment in 1879.
This significant collection includes 170 Japanese
combs and hairpins from the Edo (1603-1868)
and Meiji (1868-1912) periods, nearly 400
Chinese and Japanese belt toggles, and a group
of Chinese jade hairpins and belt hooks from
the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). The Museum
also holds Chinese kingfisherfeather inlaid
hair ornaments, Miao silver alloy jewellery,
Chinese Mandarin beads and hat finials, an
Indonesian mans ceremonial headpiece and
Malaysian belt buckles or pendings.

16

To complement the storyline, selected items

will be on loan from various private collectors
including Chinese Mandarin hat finials
from Ken and Judith Rutherford, Indian
gold dowry necklaces from Anne Schofield
and Chinese fingernail guards from Roger
Grellman. Adelaide-based collectors and the
authors of Ethnic Jewellery and Adornment:
Australia, Oceania, Asia, Africa Truus and Joost
Daalder are major lenders to the exhibition
not only of Asian objects but also Pacific and
African pieces.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, jewellery
is defined as personal ornaments, such as
necklaces, rings, or bracelets that are typically
made from or contain jewels and precious
metal. However, in the Asian context,
jewellery can be more broadly understood.
Whereas in Europe and many parts of the
world, beautifying or adorning the body
generally involves decorating bare skin
such as the neck, wrist and fingers, in Asia
jewellery seems to have developed somewhat
differently, particularly in East Asia. Many
items of jewellery evolved from being abstract
talismanic items of personal adornment to
being functional aspects of dress.
Some of the earliest known items include
belt hooks, hairpins and earrings, as well as

mirrors, which played a role in adornment

as reflectors of beauty and as objects worn
or carried on the person. Social standing,
personal taste and the availability of raw
materials determined design and materials.
For thousands of years, different items
matured at different times, and to some
degree their evolution was never complete,
as objects continued to convey meaning even
when they served a functional role.
Asia is a particularly culturally diverse region
and expressions of identity cover a very broad
spectrum. Different materials are considered
precious by different cultures. For example,
the Chinese have favoured jade since ancient
times and valued it more highly than precious
metals such as gold. Jade was so highly
valued that it was equated in importance
with the king. The character for king ( )
in Chinese originated from the form of a string
of jade beads and the character for jade ( ) is
almost identical except for the additional dot.
Chinese
artisans
developed
highly
sophisticated techniques for carving jade;
some examples shown in the exhibition are
belt hooks, earrings and hairpins. In the 1st
century CE, Xu Shen described jade (yu) as
follows in his book Shuowenjiezi (Discussion of
Writing and Explanations of Character):

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

KINGFISHER FEATHER HAIRPIN, GILT METAL, KINGFISHER FEATHER, GLASS, SEED PEARL, CHINA, C.1800, GIFT OF MISS E A MACDONALD, 1979,
COLLECTION OF THE MUSEUM OF APPLIED ARTS AND SCIENCES. IMAGE COURTESY OF GEOFF FRIEND

Jade is the fairest of stones.

It is endowed with five virtues.
Charity is its lustre, bright yet warm;
Rectitude is its translucency, revealing
the colour and markings within;
Wisdom is its pure and penetrating
note when struck.
It is courage, for it can be broken but
does not bend;
Equity is its sharp edges, which injure
none.
(Xu Shen (58 CE ca. 147 CE)
translation adapted fromZheng Dekun)

Another distinctive feature in East Asia is that

hair ornaments such as combs and hairpins are
among the most popular forms of jewellery. This
is probably due to the nature of Asian dress, in
particular for the Chinese and Japanese, who
tend not to reveal much skin, while their striking
jet-black hair offers a background against
which such jewels shine. The Chinese adored
hair ornaments made from kingfisher feathers
with their gloriously iridescent ultramarine
to turquoise-blue hues. Kingfisher feathers
were first featured in ornaments as early as
the Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE) and, over
time, Chinese artisans developed sophisticated
techniques to create from them a variety of dress
embellishments and accessories. Kingfisher
feather jewellery was very highly valued and
denoted status, wealth and royalty.

BELOW: JADE BELT HOOK WITH CHI DRAGON MOTIF, VARIEGATED JADEITE, CHINA, 1700S-1880S, GIFT OF MRS ROSEMARY D CONACHER,
1966, COLLECTION OF THE MUSEUM OF APPLIED ARTS AND SCIENCES. IMAGE COURTESY OF SOUTHA BOURN

In the case of Japan, rings, necklaces and

earrings had little or no place on the already
elaborate traditional Japanese dress; as a
result, lacquer combs (kushi) and hairpins
(kanzashi) would have been the only additional
embellishment. Yet these hair ornaments
were a vital part of Japanese fashion as they
expressed a womans character, social class
and religion. There is an ancient Japanese
proverb that clearly demonstrates the
importance of these hair ornaments: A
womans hair is her life.
The exhibition A fine possession also features
ornaments from the Museums collection that
were worn exclusively by men, including
Chinese and Japanese belt toggles and the
silver Malay belt buckle. In some of the
Indonesian islands, on ceremonial occasions,
aristocratic men wore spectacular headdresses,
neckpieces and frontal ornaments which
indicated their social status and prowess in
such pursuits as communicating with the
ancestors and headhunting.
Like the crescent-shaped, buffalo-horned gold
lamba from the island of Sumba, these heirloom
pieces were generally made from precious

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

materials. Gold has male connotations and

was only worked by men, while the repousse
imagery on the lamba shows attributes viewed
as male, such as horses with riders, eagles and
the sun. Such an heirloom piece conferred
special powers on the owner as, through its
inherent supernatural attributes, a high status
man could commune with the ancestral spirits
on behalf of his community.
Collectively, the Asian and other nonEuropean objects displayed in A Fine
Possession balance the strong Western content,
reminding visitors to the exhibition of the

universality of our enduring passion for

adornment. The exhibition opens to the public
on 23 September 2014 and will be on display
for 12 months.
Min-Jung Kim is Curator of Asian Arts and Design
(Design and Society) and Christina Sumner is the
former Principal Curator of the Powerhouse Museum
of Applied Arts & Sciences, Sydney.

REFERENCES
Xu Shen, (58 CE ca. 147 CE).Shuowenjiezi (Discussion of Writing
and Explanations of Character) on: http://www.britannica.com/
EBchecked/topic/112548/Chinese-jade. Accessed 15 July 2014

17

IN C ON V E RSATION : ASIAN C ULTURAL ORIGINS IN T H E

T E XTIL E W OR K OF RUT H H ADLO W AND W E NDY LUGG
Belinda von Mengersen

COMMON THREADS (LUGG, 2005), (CO-CURATED BY LUGG AND LEIGHTON-WHITE, 2005) INSTALLATION IMAGE,
BELGER ARTS CENTER IN KANSAS CITY, USA.

oth Ruth Hadlow and Wendy Lugg are

Australian textiles artists who use samples
of traditional textile material culture as
conceptual and actual starting points in their
own textile exhibition practices. This article
examines Ruth Hadlows approach to WestTimorese woven textiles in her multi-faceted
work Patternbook (2005-ongoing), and Wendy
Luggs to Japanese hand-stitched Boro in her
series and internationally touring exhibition
Common Threads (1999-2005). Each involves
reading and reflecting on individual pieces: a
silent dialogue, which is then interpolated into
their own work. The most intriguing aspect
of these encounters is the artists capacity to
deeply and irrevocably respond at both the
conceptual and physical level.

Textile artists often employ samples of

material culture as a basis for primary
research within their practice. However, when
cultural items are thus used, it can be easy to
assume a simplistic process: straightforward
plundering and superficial re-appropriation.
For Hadlow and Lugg, however, a relationship
with a textile cultural sample is ongoing and
conversational: the site not of conclusion or
containment, but of complex unfolding. Such
research practice moves far beyond aesthetic
analysis, relying rather upon a set of terms and
methodologies. Some of Hadlow and Luggs
unique approaches to objects of textile material
culture are tacit, but others are more corporeal
or simply just practical in their application.
Hadlow has described the use of traditional
West-Timorese woven textiles as objects
to think with (2011: 75), while Lugg talks
of working-in-response-to and alongside
traditional Boro and Sashiko Japanese textiles
(1995). It is these conceptual devices, which
characterise the work of both artists. For
Hadlow and Lugg, then, it can be seen that the
physical sample of textile material cultural is
both an object of traditional aesthetic influence
but also, more uniquely, a conceptual tool.
The item itself becomes the site of research.
While Hadlow physically maps the space
between two cultures in her artwork through
pieces of traditional Timorese hand-woven
cloth, Lugg intuitively investigates used,
worn and repaired Japanese Boro cloths,
re-positioning them within and alongside
her own practice. Such processes come
about through the initial encounter, where
the cultural textile item enables a re-seeing

18

or conversation. Between the object and

the artist a dialogue begins, in which each
unfolds in response to the other. The result
is not a reflection of existing culture or a
representation of the artist at a particular
point in time, but rather an entirely new
creation made possible only by combination:
what each enables the other to be.
Hadlow engages with traditional West
Timorese textiles to explore conceptual,
physical and philosophical ideas within her
work. Her practice encompasses several
distinctive modes: visual textile-based
temporal installation; writing; digital book
publication, and performative lectures. As
part of my doctoral research I wanted to
conduct an exploration into approaching
West Timorese textiles as poetic generative
material rather than as cultural artifacts,
Hadlow explains. Traditional textiles are
usually seen from the perspectives of the
museum, the collector, or the anthropologist;
I was interested in considering them from
the perspective of an artist, as objects to think
with (Hadlow 2011: 75).
This approach can be understood as intrinsic to
Hadlows process. It is also addressed by Mark
Ingold in his inter-disciplinary text Making:
Anthropology, Archeology, Art and Architecture:
What then is the relation between thinking
and making? To this, the theorist and the
craftsman would give different answers.
It is not that the former only thinks and

the latter only makes, but that the one

makes through thinking and the other thinks
through making. (Ingold 2013: 6).
He describes this notion of thinking through
making as an art of inquiry (Ibid) focusing
on the materiality of craft-based making
practices such as those of Hadlow and Lugg.
This explanation provides an insight into
the relationship between artists and their
materials: an interchange of ideas through
different modes of communication. However,
can such an understanding be applied more
broadly to conceptual visual artists working
in contemporary textiles? Can Hadlow and
Luggs methodologies, in selecting and
responding to cultural textile items offer a
new perception for an art of inquiry and new
ways of working and thinking?
It could be said of Hadlow and Lugg, that each
component of their work propels the other.
For it is the cultural origins of the textile items,
and their implicit craft-based conventions
that compel such conceptual readings and rereadings. The items are not selected for their
subversive capacity, but rather for the stories
they embody, to which these artists respond.
While cultural textile objects offer a rich and
varied provenance to draw from, the artist
must engage only with what speaks most
clearly to them. Hadlow discusses how she
seeks to dislocate from a sense of otherness
and romanticism within cultural objects
(Hadlow 2006). She chooses not to incorporate

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

THREADBARE II (LUGG, 1999)

physical objects within her work: instead she

conducts a live conversation with the artifact,
incorporating the gleanings into her pieces.
This is done in a cyclic manner: examining the
derivation of motifs in cloth.
Of particular interest were West Timorese
textiles showing a combination of traditional
and
non-traditional
motifs
used
in
contemporary back-strap loom hand-woven
cloths with a supplementary weft pattern.
Hadlow discovered that an old cross-stitch
pattern book was being used as a resource
for additional motifs for the supplementary
weft weavings. She then made contemporary
artwork and a digital book Patternbook
(Hadlow 2005) as a type of performative
encounter with these cultural objects. This
project was conducted in a number of parallel
ways, overlaying motifs and re-seeing
through the resultant intersection. As she
explains:
In Patternbook (2005) the drawings were
comprised of penciled handwriting in
English and Indonesian, in the form of
Xs, which in turn formed motifs derived
from a cross-stitch pattern book lent to
me by a Timorese weaver, Ina Lalak. She
had incorporated the European cross stitch
motifs into her weaving, translating what
can be described as a foreign text and,
through that process, creating what I think
of as a material creole (2006).
She describes how the performative
installation evolved on a day-by-day basis,
working with improvisation and the notion of
the diary/notebook as a space to record and
explore (Hadlow 2006). Images from this work
were later overlaid with written texts about
her shifting cultural perceptions and a sound
track to create an interactive virtual book, also
called Patternbook (Hadlow 2010). Hadlows
process allows the viewer to encounter the
phenomenological result of the original
dialogue, resulting in lived experience made
visible: a rare kind of artistic exposure.
Lugg began working with Japanese Boro
textiles by deconstructing and reconstructing
them. They were then made into new pieces,
mirroring her subjective take on the Australian
Wagga quilt and the practice of makingdo. The contemporary quilt pieces that she
constructed were hand-stitched, mimicking the
running lines of Boro and Sashiko. A perceptive
shift occurred when she began to exhibit the
found objects and her own constructed textile
quilts together. This provided the viewer with
a context, whereby the original item could
become a kind of teaching tool showing the
esoteric beauty of the other.

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

The Common Threads exhibition (1999-2005)

comprised historical, utilitarian Japanese
textiles stitched for everyday use, and Luggs
contemporary works made in response.
According to the exhibition catalogue:
[Luggs] work incorporated vintage Japanese
cloth, embedded with memory, to explore the
art of making-do, a common heritage shared
with the Japanese makers of the old textiles in
the exhibition.
The cloths that Lugg chose were worn,
channeling Yuriko Saitos Japanese aesthetics
of imperfection and insufficiency (Saito, 1997).
In this text, Saito describes how used, worn,
repaired and re-used cloth enables a particular
type of austere beauty to emerge and how this
alternative imperfect aesthetic may be valued
even more highly than a new, unused item (Ibid).
Australian Wagga quilts are very simple, made
from re-cycled materials like flour sacks, or
tailors samples, made by men or women out
of necessity (Hucker n/d). Placed in a Western
fine-art exhibition context, these used and
deliberately re-purposed textiles provide an

alternative type of provenance. They draw on a

utilitarian heritage and a socially unrecognised
value-structure. Lugg places her work
alongside traditional Japanese Boro, allowing
for both to be re-seen and re-contextualised.
This creates a dialogue between the pieces, a
deliberate space where the viewer may reflect
upon what is subtly yet palpably enabled.
As conceptualists and practitioners, Hadlow
and Lugg interpolate objects of Asian textile
material culture in multiple ways. What they
perceive in the objects they focus on cannot
be simply articulated. Textiles as objects of
material culture are complex. While it may
initially seem that Hadlow and Lugg are
looking merely at aesthetics, or the craft-skills
employed in the items construction, this
cannot fully explain the scope of knowledge
represented by the object or its capacity to
operate as a tool for thinking.
According to theorist Paul Carter, material
thinking is a kind of exchange: what
happens when matter stands in-between
the collaborators supplying the discursive

19

THE SITUATED LINE, RUTH HADLOW (2013) PULANG,, CURATED BY MICHELLE ELLIOT, SEPTEMBER 2013,
ARTICULATE GALLERY, LEICHHARDT, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

situation of their work (Carter 2007:19). This

is exactly what Hadlow and Lugg engage in:
the making process always issues from,
and folds back into a social relationIt is this
back-and-forth or discourse, that provides
the testing-ground of new ideas, and which
establishes their interest (Ibid). Carter also
examines the potential of a cultural object
to remain changeable: from the point of
view of creative research, materials are always
in a state of becoming. They are colloidal,
humid and combinatory (Carter 2007: 19).
In this way, conversation is intrinsic to
Hadlow and Luggs practices, where the
encounter re-shapes both the artist and
the work through physical and conceptual
dialogue. It is through the performance of
making that new ideas emerge: being ready to
engage with whatever arises in conversation
with the object (Carter 2007: 19). Artists like
Hadlow and Lugg are re-seeing and reinterpolating cues from the intrinsic, dense
subtleties of textile language and meaning
within a cultural space, a space where the
textiles are culturally situated on the
threshold between the functional and the
symbolic (Pajaczkowska 2005: 222). It is this
in-between territory that these textile artists
are drawn to, and play upon, within the
solitary spaces of their own practice.
Dr Belinda von Mengersen studied textiles at Goldsmiths
College, University of London then completed a PhD
at the University of Newcastle, Australia. She lectures
in Technology (Textiles) at the National School of Arts,
Australian Catholic University.

REFERENCES
Hadlow, R., 2011, The Library of Translation Exercises: dis/
location and art practice in West Timor, Art Monthly Australia,
no. 244, pp.74-6.
Hadlow, R., 2006, The Library of Translation Exercises,
Mapping the Mind, an unpublished paper seminar paper,
University of South Australia.
Hadlow, R., 2010, Patternbook (virtual book),
<http://www.ruthhadlow.net/patternbook>
Hucker, W., Wagga Rugs, Pioneer Womens Hut, Tumbarumba,
Australian National Quilt Register. http://www.collectionsaustralia.
net/nqr/wendy.php n/d, accessed 11/6/2014
Ingold, T., 2013, Making: Anthropology, Archeology Art and
Architecture,
Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon; New York.
Lugg, W., 2005, Common Threads, exhibition catalogue (cocurators: W. Lugg and S. Leighton-White), international touring
exhibition (1999-2005), various venues in Australia, UK, Japan,
New Zealand, USA. This article focuses on the final installation
of this exhibition, Belger Arts Center in Kansas City, USA, 2005.
http://www.wendylugg.com/exhibitions.htmPajaczkowska, C., 2012,
On Stuff and Nonsense: The Complexity of Cloth, Textile: The Journal
of Cloth and Culture, v. 3, no. 3, September 2005, p. 220-249.
Saito, Y., 1997, The Japanese Aesthetics of Imperfection and
Insufficiency, The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, vol. 55,
no. 4, p. 377-385.

PATTERNBOOK (HADLOW, 2005), INSTALLATION DETAIL, ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA

20

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

21

C ALLIGRA P H I C BATI K C LOT H S IN SOUT H E AST ASIA : M E ANING B E H IND T H E W ORDS

Margaret White
BATIK CLOTH WITH ISLAMIC CALLIGRAPHY AND FLOWER, EARLY 20TH CENTURY, BATIK ON COTTON, 244 X 104 CM (IRREG.),
ART GALLERY OF NEW SOUTH WALES, GIFT OF JOHN YU AND GEORGE SOUTTER 2008

he spread of Islam in the 7th century

produced a vast network of trade based
on common values and the shared Arabic
language, uniting the ummah or global Islamic
community. It is most probable that the
calligraphic batik cloths of Southeast Asia
were inspired by contact with Indian Muslim
and Arab traders throughout the Indonesian
archipelago since the 13th century. The
Turkish Ottoman empire secured close links
with Aceh and Jambi in Sumatra from the
16th century with the spread of Islam and the
Sultanates influence was particularly evident
in this type of batik cloth. Designs may have
also been copied from textiles brought back
by Hajj pilgrims from Mecca.

Muslims believe that the written word is

Gods word and is, therefore, sacred. Thus,
calligraphy is considered the highest art form
in Islamic culture. Calligraphic batik cloths all
bear the elegant, free flowing Arabic script as
their main motif which can be represented in
various styles, leading to the development of
an extensive, artistic vocabulary. The writing
was a type of graphic symbolism that carried
immense religious significance. Beautiful
calligraphy allowed even those who were
illiterate to appreciate the perfection, presence
and power of God. Arabic calligraphy also
functioned to unite the plastic arts throughout
the Islamic world, decorating and enhancing
the significance of architecture, and objects in
ceramic, stone and metal as well as textiles.
In the Muslim world, pre-Islamic styles
were pared down to eliminate most
representational images. This was connected
to a fear of idolatry and the belief that only
Allah was the creator, although it has been
observed that this practice was not as
widespread in Southeast Asia (Maxwell 2003:
335). The Arabs adopted the plant motif or
twining arabesque which derived from the
Mediterranean vine motif of the Romans and
the Byzantines, incorporating it into their art
and making it characteristically Islamic by
using the motif to fill empty spaces.
In the illustration of an early 20th century
calligraphic batik cloth, one can discern a
stylised, central flower motif within the
calligraphy. Geometric forms such as straight
lines, squares, triangles, diamonds, circular
motifs and their variants could be added to
the calligraphy and arabesques as the designer
required (Gillow 2012: 8). Artists were able to

22

exercise their skill and creativity in subjects

which were often half hidden or camouflaged.
Patterns which disappeared beyond the border
enclosing them, for example, alluded to beliefs
of eternity and infinity in Islamic thought.
One way in which cloth could be invested
with meaning was by covering it with
calligraphy, a task for which the batik
technique was eminently suitable. (Kerlogue
2004: 98). The most commonly used phrases
was the profession of faith in Islam or shahadah
(There is no god but God and Muhammad
is the messenger of God) or the basmallah, a
phrase used at the start of each of the surahs
or verses of the Quran and uttered before
any major undertaking. Many batik kaligrafi
were hand drawn (batik tulis) using a canting
(wax pen) which could render fine detail on
resist dyed cotton cloth. The Arabic script
was known as jawi in all Malay-speaking
regions. This stemmed from medieval times
when both Malay and the Arabic Kufic script
were used. The ancient tradition of applying
lettering was recorded in the Malay chronicle,
the Hidayat Raja Muda dating from the late
15th century.
Sharing the cultural traditions of other
Southeast Asian societies, calligraphic batiks
are associated with the life cycle; used during

significant rites of passage such as weddings,

circumcisions and funerals as well as for
warfare and royal investitures. Kerlogue notes
that batik is one of the most meaningful forms
of art in Indonesia and so has come to represent
particular symbols reflecting many of the
values held most dear by the culture which
produces them (Kerlogue 2004: 75). Their
meanings are partly associated with the way
batiks are used: how they are folded, where
they are placed and to whom they are given.
In the case of calligraphic batiks, they are the
vehicle for the script invoking deeper meaning
and reverence for the Muslim believer.
Banners, head cloths and shawls draped over
the shoulders carry motifs with religious
quotations and meanings and are still often
used in accordance with the ancient functions
of sacred cloths. Ceremonial calligraphic batiks,
such as royal banners, are of a superior quality
and had a considerable amount of time and
expense spent on production. They can even
be used in illness or when divine guidance was
required. However, they are not usually worn or
used on specifically religious occasions.
In Southeast Asia, where the notion of
protection appears to be particularly
important (Maxwell 2003: 336), calligraphic
batiks served as talismanic, even magical,

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

BATIK HEAD CLOTH WITH STYLISED ISLAMIC

CALLIGRAPHY DESIGN, EARLY 20TH CENTURY, BATIK, COTTON,
BATIK COFFIN COVER WITH STYLISED ISLAMIC CALLIGRAPHY DESIGN, MID 20TH CENTURY, BATIK, COTTON, DYES, 290 X 105 CM

DYES, 95 X 91 CM (IRREG.), ART GALLERY OF NEW SOUTH WALES,

ART GALLERY OF NEW SOUTH WALES, GIFT OF DR JOHN YU AND DR GEORGE SOUTTER 2007

GIFT OF DR JOHN YU AND DR GEORGE SOUTTER 2007

purposes. Soldiers would wear smaller,

square, red head cloths (ikat kepala) to
symbolise bravery and deflect weapons and
bullets. Devout Muslim soldiers killed on
the battlefield were covered in a large batik
shroud or kerudung (literally shroud) on their
way to their burial. The calligraphic batik
coffin cover pictured from Jambi is inscribed
with the shahadah and stylised bird motifs
arranged around lozenges.
The origin of the kerudung can be traced to
India, Iran and Turkey. It was the Ottoman
custom to place calligraphic silk cloths over
the tombs of their saints, holy men, great
rulers, martyrs and soldiers. Another likely
influence on Southeast Asian calligraphic
batiks is the talismanic jama or shirt which
was inscribed with verses from the Quran.
Sometimes these jama have been found folded
up so it is not certain whether they were
meant to be worn or rather carried about on
ones person (Seow 2003: 323).
However, it is in the 19th and early 20th
century among the diverse communities
that settled on the north coast of Java that
the predominant Muslim influence on
calligraphic batiks can be seen. In Cirebon,
special batiks in blue and white and red
and white were made for export to Sumatra
for consumption by Muslim communities
(Campbell 2014: 44) Examples are shoulder
cloths and head cloths decorated with Arabic
script once worn by Minangkabau clan chiefs
in the Padang highlands of West Sumatra or
by fighters in the struggle for independence
to protect themselves.

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

Calligraphy and prominent Islamic symbols

were originally applied to batik banners and
flags. They had a preference for jelemprang
patterns (derived from the eight-petalled
lotus motif) and ceplokan patterns (featuring
repeated geometric shapes) based on Indian
patola designs often worked in Islamic green.
Eventually, these designs began to appear
on deta head cloths and selendang prayer
shawls. The deta head scarves were folded,
glued and pinned into neat turbans to be worn
by men at weddings and other ceremonies
(Gillow 2010: 289).

Although calligraphic batiks have not

received as much research attention as
other Southeast Asian textiles, it is clear that
calligraphic decoration has always been in
vogue, enjoying widespread appeal in the
Islamic world. The production of batik with
Islamic calligraphy in Southeast Asia is
experiencing a recent revival through screen
printing and sale to places such as Jambi and
Bengkulu.
Margaret White lived in Singapore from 1991-2011
and was a past president and advisor of the Friends
of the Museums (Singapore). She is currently serving

On some calligraphic batik cloths, words

have been stylised into lions, birds and stars,
all of which have religious significance. For
example, a central, star-shaped calligraphic
medallion is possibly derived from Islamic
Sufi precepts. In many motifs, the meanings
are encoded with numbers often representing
letters or vice versa in a cabbalistic
arrangement. This is particularly prevalent in
the cloths sewn into talismanic shirts.
Kerlogue draws another link with the wider
Islamic world by the use of the repeated,
swirling tughra. This swirling motif is a device
used to authenticate Ottoman state documents
and consists of the name of a Sultan, his
patronymic and the formula May he ever be
victorious. The three central lines with two
loops which appear like a rooster, is believed to
have supernatural powers and was a common
design component in square head cloths
(Kerlogue 2004: 161). The early 20th century
batik head cloth shown has a central stylised
floral surrounded by four tughras.

on the TAASA Management Committee following her

passions in textiles and ceramics.

REFERENCES
Campbell, Siobhan, 2014. Encounters with Bali, A Collectors
Journey, Indonesian textiles from the collection of Dr John Yu AC
and Dr George Souter AM. Mosman Art Gallery catalogue.
Gillow John, 2010. Textiles of the Islamic World. Thames and
Hudson, London.
Kerlogue, Fiona, 2004. The book of batik. Archipelago Press,
Editions Didier Millet, Singapore.
Kerlogue, Fiona, 2004. Arts of Southeast Asia: London.
Thames and Hudson, London.
Maxwell, Robyn, 2003. Textiles of Southeast Asia Tradition,
Trade and Transformation. Revised Edition Periplus, Singapore.
Seow, Marilyn. (Ed) 2003.The Asian Civilisations Museum A-Z
Guide to its collections Editions Didier Millet, Singapore.
http://www.sgcool.sg

23

RALLI Q UILTS : E X P R E SSIONS OF C ULTURAL & INDI V IDUAL ID E NTITY

Sarah E. Tucker
RILII, MAKER UNKNOWN, PROBABLY MADE IN HYDERABAD, SINDH, PAKISTAN, CIRCA 1950-1960, 215 X 123 CENTIMETERS. IMAGE COURTESY
OF THE INTERNATIONAL QUILT STUDY CENTER, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN; IQSCM 2005.035.0002. WWW.QUILTSTUDY.ORG.

alli is a generic term for a diverse group of

quilts from Northwest India and Pakistan
- a geographic area from Rajasthan in the
east to Baluchistan in the west, and from the
Punjab in the north to Gujarat in the south.
This is a region particularly well known for its
textiles, and is made up of many and diverse
ethnic and tribal groups, each with their own
quilt designs and use of particular colours
and techniques.

It is Sindh, an area in the south of Pakistan

with a population of 42.4 million people,
many of whom are related to tribes in
Baluchistan, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat,
which is considered to be the centre of the
ralli-producing area (Sindh Government
Statistics). The words ralli (plural) and rilii
(singular) mean a quilt or coverlet stuffed
with old clothes and are words derived from
the Sindhi verb ralarnu, to mix freely, to join,
or connect (Parmanand Mewaram SindhiEnglish Dictionary).
Ralli quilts are hung over doorways, and used
to decorate walls, as bedcovers, and on the
backs of animals. They can also be made into
bags to hold a dowry (gotho) to wrap a sacred
text (bhuiki) or even by a snake charmer to
store his snake (Ormsby Stoddard 2003: 31).
Until the 1970s women only made ralli for
personal use, and the cloth used was recycled
from old clothing. Now ralli may also be
made from new cloth, and offered for sale to
provide extra income for their families. Where
previously a rilii would have been made from
cotton, more recently synthetic fabrics are
used - they are easier to hand-stitch and retain
their colour when washed.
The older ralli were made with cloth of
colours related to those found on prehistoric
pottery from the Indus region - red, black,
yellow, green and blue (Ormsby Stoddard
2003: 48). With the emergence of synthetic
fabrics, however, a brighter palette has
emerged. Exceptions are ralli made by the two
nomadic groups, the Saami and the Jogi, who
use a solid colour background on whole-cloth,
richly embroidered with threads of different
colours; thus the thread creates the pattern,
not different cloth colours.
Ralli can be divided into three main categories,
and these can be used as a rough guide to
identify the region and cultural group of the

24

maker. The first category is made with an

upper layer (purr) of patchwork (touki) which
is found in the checkerboard designs of the
central plains around Hyderabad. Quilts
from middle and south Sindh usually include
blocks with appliqu, whereas in the north,
appliqu and patchwork blocks are often
combined in the same quilt.
The designs used in making ralli have been
passed from woman-to-woman for perhaps
thousands of years, and thus can provide
insights into the collective identity of a cultural
group or tribe. And although a woman may
learn to make ralli from her mother or other
women in her community, she may choose to
adapt the design. When a rilii is made from
discarded clothing, it may provide additional
insights into its makers life, just as her choice
of colours expresses her individual creativity.
Ralli are also made to celebrate special
occasions such as a wedding, prior to which
the women come together to sew a dowry
quilt, and the stitching, pattern, and cloth
used in these quilts may be particularly fine.
This is an important feature of quiltmaking
across many cultures, giving women a chance
to meet together, exchange stories and sing.
I was first introduced to the term ralli in
an exhibition, South Asian Seams at the
International Quilt Study Center & Museum
in Lincoln, Nebraska during a visit in 2010.
The exhibition was laid out on a regional basis;
the visitor effectively led from one quilt to the

next as if travelling in a zigzag manner from

east-to-west across the subcontinent. It was
clear from the beginning how the lexicon of
designs could be used to identify the different
geographic and cultural regions from where
they originated.
The first example of a rilii quilt in the
exhibition was from Rajasthan. It included
appliqu, small glass mirrors (shisha) and
fragments of fabric arranged in intricate
geometric patterns. The 19th century crazy
quilts - a form popular in England and North
America - have a marked resemblance to this
style of quilt, which raises the question of
whether there was a link between these two
types of quilts at the height of British colonial
involvement in India. Histories of the quilt
medium suggest the enthusiasm for crazy
quilts came from North America, yet the
connections between Rajasthan and Britain
and the similarity in layering and embroidery
techniques used suggest the possibility of
another channel of inspiration via the women
who spent time in India in colonial times.
From Rajasthan the exhibition moved to
the region of Gujarat, and an extraordinary
whole-cloth quilt made from a typical Rabari
shawl, richly embroidered and appliqud so
that the surface had a remarkably dynamic
quality. Here the exhibition progressed to
the second room and ralli from Pakistan.
On the walls were quilts from the southern
Sindh region, with colour scheme and
ornate appliqu characteristic of the Muslim
Chauhan quilters.

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

RILII, MAKER UNKNOWN, PROBABLY MADE IN CHOLISTAN, PUNJAB, PAKISTAN, CIRCA 1975-2000, 214 X 138 CENTIMETERS. IMAGE COURTESY
OF THE INTERNATIONAL QUILT STUDY CENTER, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN; IQSCM 2007.004.0004. WWW.QUILTSTUDY.ORG

Removing the quilt from its traditional place

in the home and displaying it within the art
gallery results in a shift in focus. Viewing
quilts in this setting encourages an analysis
of their aesthetic qualities and formal
characteristics, supported by an informed
narrative which places them in their cultural
context. Imagining a quilt back in its domestic
setting can cause an abrupt shift from the
public to the private domain.

RILII, MAKER UNKNOWN, PROBABLY MADE IN GUJARAT, INDIA, CIRCA 1970-1990, 196 X 127 CENTIMETERS. IMAGE COURTESY OF
THE INTERNATIONAL QUILT STUDY CENTER, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN; IQSCM 2005.033.0021. WWW.QUILTSTUDY.ORG

And this is what happened to me when I came

across a charpoy covered by a well-used and
worn ralli from Thatta, Sindh at this exhibition
in Lincoln, Nebraska. Suddenly I experienced
a flash of memory which took me back in time
to my childhood as a 5-year-old living in the
Baluchistan region of Pakistan. Experiencing
this personal connection led me subsequently
to explore the world of the ralli in greater
detail, where I found myself asking questions
concerning identity - of the collective, of the
individual.
The act of joining two or more layers of cloth by
means of lines of stitching to make a quilt, an
object that is both functional and decorative,
is found in many different cultures. The quilts
produced in the Indus valley are particularly
distinctive and varied, and represent a
tradition that has been practiced for perhaps
thousands of years. This is a tradition that has
not, however, remained unchanged: these ralli
not only identify the various tribal and ethnic
groups of the region, they also celebrate the
ongoing resourcefulness and creativity of the
individual women who make them today.
Sarah Tucker had a nomadic childhood living in
various countries in Asia, Europe and the Middle
East. She graduated BSc Hons (Zoology) 1974, MSc

RILII, MAKER UNKNOWN, MADE IN MATLI, BADIN, SINDH, PAKISTAN, CIRCA 1970-1980, 221 X 137 CENTIMETERS. IMAGE COURTESY OF
THE INTERNATIONAL QUILT STUDY CENTER, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN; IQSCM 2006.021.0004. WWW.QUILTSTUDY.ORG.

(Biophysics) 1976, MArtTh (UNSW) 2005. She writes,

curates and makes quilts.

REFERENCES
International Quilt Study Center & Museum (IQSCM), University of
Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska USA
Ormsby Stoddard, Patricia, 2003. Ralli Quilts, Traditional Textiles
from Pakistan and India, Schiffer Publishing Ltd
Parmanand Mewaram Sindhi-English Dictionary (online):
<http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/mewaram/>
Sindh Government Statistics (online): <www.pwdsindh.gov.pk/>.

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

25

R E S E AR C H ING IN T H E FI E LD T H E SRI K S E TRA M US E U M , P YAY, M YAN M AR

Charlotte Galloway
NEW CHALLENGES EACH DAY

n 22 June 2014, at the UNESCO conference

in Doha, Myanmars Pyu city sites became
inscribed on the World Heritage List. The three
city sites of Sri Ksetra, Beikthano and Halin
are recognised as the most intact and largest
examples of first millennium settlement in
Southeast Asia, and also are key in tracing
the development of Buddhism through the
region. I was particularly delighted to see
the sites so recognised, especially as I have
visited Sri Ksetra a number of times, and
had just spent extended periods there in the
first half of 2014 while on sabbatical from the
Australian National University.

Sri Ksetra has long been recognised as a

region rich in history. Preparation of the
documents for UNESCO required extensive
research of the site itself which was the focus
for the listing. The objects in the local site
museum were somewhat peripheral to the
formal documentation. My study program
involved the complete cataloguing of the Sri
Ksetra Museum collection and most of the
objects in storage. I worked with local staff,
incorporating training in museology, while
we jointly discussed and described the array
of artefacts from the site.
The project was suggested to me by Dr Bob
Hudson, a Sydney based archaeologist
known to many TAASA members. Bob is
one of a small team who worked with the
Burmese to prepare the UNESCO submission,
and he appreciated that there was a need to
start more formal documentation of existing
artefacts. With approval from the Myanmar
Ministry of Culture, I spent two month-long
periods in Myanmar, focussing on cataloguing
the Museum collection with local staff. In
addition I also gave lectures on museology to
the new intake of students at the Archaeology
Field School at Pyay.
The Sri Ksetra Museum (formerly the
Hmawsa Museum) is on the outskirts of
Hmawsa village, around 6km from the
major city of Pyay. The original site museum,
established in the early 1900s, remains in the
grounds of the adjacent monastery, Kyauk
Kar Thein, and is used as a store. The current
museum building was built in the 1960s with
later extensions. The museum remained
unchanged until September 2013 when there
was a major refurbishment of the displays in
conjunction with the UNESCO submission.
These are accompanied by thematic wall

26

panels outlining key elements of the regions

history including religion, architecture and
burial practices. The objects themselves are
remarkably varied from large stone steles
and imaginative terracotta architectural
plaques to delicate silver coins and gold rings,
and much more.
Cataloguing the works was a great experience,
though it had its own challenges. I worked
with the manager of the Museum and her
assistants, as well as staff from the Archaeology
Field School who teach museology. Each day
we measured, described and discussed objects,
with me typing everything onto my laptop and
taking photographs. It was hot, high 30s and
even low 40s most days, with an overhead fan
providing some relief in the museum but not
in the store where open windows and doors
provided the available ventilation.
I thank everyone involved for retaining good
humour through these trying conditions!
While I had brought some museum tools
such as tape measures, soft brushes for
cleaning and torches, I was reminded again
how much we take resources for granted.
Basic equipment items such as a stepladder
or cotton gloves are just not readily available.
Modern museum practices are simply not
well known in Myanmar as opportunities to
develop such skills have only recently been
available. We spent time on art handling
practices and preventative conservation. We
discussed wall labels and visitor information.
I shared information on western art historical

terminology and learned much from my

Myanmar colleagues about how they describe
the material in the collection.
The experience was extremely worthwhile. I
worked with fellow professionals who were
all keen to learn more about international
museum practice. The museum itself is
looking terrific and even with its modest
resources and facilities, gives visitors the
opportunity to see some fascinating objects
professionally presented, including some of
the earliest Buddhist artefacts from Southeast
Asia. Large scale stone sculptures are a stand
out art form for me, as is the variety of styles
and iconography which makes developing a
chronology of Pyu art a challenge, but one I
am definitely pursuing! Teaching students
from the Field School who are studying for
their Diploma in Archaeology was also a
great experience and helped show how the
museum could be used as a teaching resource.
Sri Ksetra is now firmly on the map. Tourism
will steadily increase and the site will need
to respond to this. We have some ongoing
projects in place including development
of a museum guide book, and continued
cataloguing of Pyu artefacts from the region.
I look forward to continuing my association
with the staff and am already planning my
next visit!
Dr Charlotte Galloway is a Lecturer, Asian Art History
and Curatorial Studies at the Australian National
University, Canberra.

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

C OLL E C TOR S C H OI C E : A M U A N G H U N T E X T I L E F R O M N O R T H W E S T L A O S
Gay Spies
TUBE-SKIRT (SINH) FROM MUANG HUN, OUDOMXAI PROVINCE, NORTHWEST LAOS, LATE 19TH C..
GAY SPIES, IMAGE COURTESY OF CAROLINE WHITLEY

ravellers taking the two-day boat trip

down the Mekong River to Luang
Prabang spend the night in the little town of
PakBeng, perched above the steep riverbank.
Most people continue down-river, but a few
intrepidtravellers take the road north toward
the provincial capital, Oudomxai. Few stop
on the way in the little town of Muang Hun
and fewer still are aware of the extraordinary
textiles, like this tube-skirt, once produced here.

Whenthese unique textiles first appeared on

the market in late 20th C, they created quite
a stir. Very little was known about them or
their weavers. Some thought they had been
woven by the Tai Lue, because the tubeskirts displayed typical Lue structure: two
side seams (most other Tai tube-skirts have
only one), the pattern in the mid-section
(body) oriented horizontally when worn,
and a separate waistband (head) with dark
indigo hem piece (foot). Most had a red
cotton waistband and a white cotton border to
thehem piece. All featured three yellow silk
bands above the hem.
This piece however is all silk, with natural
dyes. The warp and most of the weft is red,
while all of the supplementary weft is in
different colours, creating a most harmonious
blend of hues. Its most striking aspect is the
prominent panel of fine tapestry weave, with
the coloursoutlined in white. A narrower,
more subtle band of tapestry in the same
shades, without the white, is placed on the
upper part of the body. A second major
element consists of bands of discontinuous
supplementary weft, some with triangular
shapes enclosing motifs of flowers, fern
tendrils and small birds. Narrow bands of
red and white ikat, and of green or white
continuous supplementary weft, separate
these design elements, whilst the bottom
of the hem shows the characteristic yellow
silk stripes. The brown waistband and dark
indigo hem are handwoven in cotton.
I am always attracted to textiles withfolk
character, as they display the weavers
personality. I fell for this textile when I spotted
it in a textile shop in Luang Prabang in the
early 1990s. It was sold as a 100 year old Tai
Lue tube skirt from Oudomxai province.
However this one is not typical of Lue textiles.
The Lue, who live in northwest Lao and have
distinctive architecture, dress, language and

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

script, are renowned as weavers, preferring

cotton and bright chemical dyes. They are
almost uniqueamong the Tai for their use
of tapestry, but use it in narrower bands,
indicating area of origin through pattern and
placement. Their use of silk is almost always
confined to tapestry and supplementary weft.
The history of Muang Hun may help
to explain the difference between these
distinctive pieces and those woven by Muang
Hun weavers today (and the Lue generally).
In particular, the use of silk in the warp is
more characteristic of the Tai Phuan, masters
of sericulture and silk weaving. They use silk
warps when silk is used in the weft. The Lue
and Muang Hun weavers today use the same
techniques, however the main decorative
section is narrower and placed at hip level,
while use of tapestry is more discrete, making
the overall effect more restrained.
In the outlying villages around Muang Hun,
the Lue are the dominant ethnic group. They
migrated from the independent principality
of Sipsongpanna (now in Yunnan, China) and
intermarried over the last 200 years with the
Tai Phuan, who originated from the Phuan
Kingdom in northeastern Laos.

In their new locations the Phuan adapted

by changing their style of dress, tradition
and language to fit in with the locals. Sadly,
few in Muang Hun now remember their old
traditions, though their traditional songs
remain, as does the use of silk warps and
the use of complex supplementary weft
patterning.
Both the Buddhist Lue and Phuan wove
textiles for the animist Mon-Khmer-speaking
Khmu, the original inhabitants of the country
living in the hills throughout Laos. Examples
of the simple textiles they once wove on
backstrap looms can be seen in the excellent
Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre in
Luang Prabang. These unique Muang Hun
tapestry tube-skirts are partof their textile
treasure, for use in ritual ceremonies.
This beautiful, exuberant tube-skirt was
made for sale to Khmu shamans. It would
have never been worn in Muang Hun. As
textile scholar Patricia Cheesman noted: Noone would dare wear such an outrageous
piece in their own village (2014 personal
communication).
Gay Spies, OAM is a formermicrobiology teacher,
active in community and environmental organisations.

The Phuan are the most displaced of all the

Tai. Their territory (now Xieng Khouang
province) suffered repeated invasions, and
was heavily bombed in the Vietnam War.
There is no record of the Phuan arrival in
Muang Hun. After the end of the civil war
(1975) the people were relocated to Luang
Prabang because they were thought to be
rightist. The area was destroyed and deserted
for 10 years. People later returned and rebuilt
the town and surrounding villages.

Her interests include Lao and Thai textiles, tracking

down old temples with interesting murals and leading
small group tours to Laos.

REFERENCES
Cheesman, Patricia (1998). Introducing Muang Hun Textiles, in:
Tai Studies Proceedings, S. Burusphat (ed), Bangkok and (2014)
Personal communication.
Songsak Prangwatthankun (2008).Cultural Heritage of Tai Lue
Textiles, Chiang Mai University.

27

BOO K R E V I E W : E X H I B I T I N G T H E P A S T
Gill Green
Three Ambonese women ready for church,
n/d. Private collection M. Hulsbosch

which became most pronounced in the late

Dutch colonial period.

Pointy Shoes and Pith Helmets.

Dress and Identity Construction
in Ambon from 1880-1942
Marianne Hulsbosch
Brill, 2014
RRP $US 142.00, hardcover, 237 pages

This publication is an intensive sociological

and cultural examination of Ambonese
society as mediated through dress and
adornment in the late Dutch colonial period.
Ambon, a famed Spice Isle in the Indonesian
archipelago, is situated more or less halfway
between the most easterly reaches of Sulawesi
and the western tip of West Papua. Together
with a number of other tiny islands in the
central Moluccas group, their reputation for
spice-laden resources far exceeds their size.
It was the spices - cloves, nutmeg and mace
- that drew first the Portuguese in the early
16th century, then the Dutch who, a century
or so later, fiercely contested the Portuguese
trade presence. Ultimately the Dutch won
out and established themselves in the region,
specifically in the Moluccas. This history is
important because it transformed the society
of the indigenous peoples of the islands, most
significantly during the last century of Dutch
colonial rule.
Dr Hulsbosch frames her analysis in
sociological terms according to a theoretical
typology which can be used in analysing
sartorial expression as a means of defining
identity (p2 note B). This approach leads her
to organise her discussion under the headings
of Disciplined dress, Dominating dress,
Mirroring dress and Communicative
dress. Described within these chapters are
the complex and ever changing components of
dress adopted by Ambonese in response to the
impact of the dress codes, fashions, materials,
and accessories of European origin, an impact
in evidence as far back as the Portuguese but

28

Autochthonous dress consisted of simple

barkcloth loincloths ciao babaungga for men
and harene for women. The Ambonese,
however, responded to the changes in their
society - affecting their religion, education
and social hierarchy - which challenged their
ancient customs. European Protestant and
Catholic customs, for example, demanded the
body to be covered and Islamisation added
further facets to the requirements of dress.
In response to these influences, women
adopted skirts, sarong and kain, with long
sleeve jackets baju or kebaya of finer fabric.
Mens dress conformed increasingly to
European styles of trousers, with shirts and
jackets. While the Ambonese responded to the
colonial circumstances, the author concludes
that the Ambonese never completely
abandoned their adat or traditions associated
with dress. Interestingly, both male and
female Dutch civilians living in Ambon often
adopted styles and fabrics in their dress, in
recognition, at least at a pragmatic level, of the
tropical conditions they experienced. These
reflected local styles while making their own
lifestyle more comfortable.
The discussion delves further than the textile
components of dress. Ambonese women
created elaborate ornamentation which is
described here in great detail, encompassing
the contribution of jewellery, hairstyles as well
as hair ornaments. It includes the elements of
dress distinctive of wedding attire. Womens
slip-on style shoes with upturned, pointy toes,
cenela and kaus (which provide the title of the
book) obliged them to take small, constricted
steps integral to a notion of appropriate
deportment.
For readers interested in traditional textiles,
it is worthy of note that the indigenous
peoples of this archipelago, the Alifuru of
neighbouring Seram, did not have a weaving
tradition. Their dress in pre-colonial times
employed both natural materials plucked
from the forest as well as beaten barkcloth.

Added to these are numerous charming

sketches which the author has prepared from
images, where she wanted to show details
of hairstyles, jewellery and ornamentation
essential for the completion of traditional
dress for celebratory events in the lives of the
Ambonese, as well as their newly assumed
roles in the hierarchy of colonial society and
religion.
The material supplementary to the text
consists of a list of end notes to each chapter,
a catalogue of image sources, a glossary of
technical and non-English terms, a register of
interviews over a 12 year period by the author
both in Ambon and amongst Ambonese in
the diaspora, as well as a comprehensive
bibliography. A map would have been a
useful addition, this area being perhaps a
lesser-known area of Indonesia.
This publication is without doubt a unique
and insightful resource both in the depth of
its examination and analysis of Ambonese
dress and adornment and the discussion of
Ambonese responses to shifting influences
resulting from colonial society, socioeconomic
circumstances, cultural demands and
competing religions.
Gill Green is President of TAASA and an Honorary

This hardcover publication is profusely

illustrated with historical photos from the
authors private collection as well as from that
of the KITLV (The Royal Netherland Institute
of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies).

Associate in the Department of Art History and Film

Studies, University of Sydney.

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

TAASA S AG M AND T H E INAUGURAL TAASA ORATION

Sandra Forbes
TAASA President Gill Green with recently retired TAASA Treasurer, Ann Guild.
Below: Professor David Christian of Macquarie University, presenter of first TAASA Oration, Source www.bighistory.org.uk

TAASAs Annual General Meeting 2014 was

held in Sydney on 21 May and yes, we would
normally have reported on this earlier, in the
June issue of TAASA Review. However, this
year the AGM took place so close to our June
print deadline that a report had to wait until
September. In future, TAASA hopes not only
to better synchronise the AGM and deadlines
for the TAASA Review, but also to have the
capacity speedily to report such events and
their outcomes on our redesigned website.
Held in a capacious and comfortable lecture
theatre provided courtesy of COFA, the AGM
this year attracted 51 members. Our high
attendance number for this AGM strongly
suggests that the big drawcard of the evening
was the post-AGM, inaugural TAASA Oration,
given by Dr David Christian (see below).
The meeting noted that, despite a small loss
during 2013 (the year in review), the Societys
financial position was satisfactory, and
Treasurer Todd Sunderman was thanked for
his professional presentation.
The meetings Chair, President Gill Green,
advised that former Management Committee
members Hwei-fen Cheah, Matt Cox,
Charlotte Galloway, Ann Guild, Yukie Sato
and Susan Scollay were all stepping down
from the Committee as of this meeting, and
had not chosen to re-nominate. All were
sincerely thanked for their generous donation
of time and work to the Society. Gill Green
particularly thanked and commended Ann
Guild for her hard work, professionalism,
efficiency and tireless energy, particularly
as Treasurer (for eight years) and Events coordinator (three years), during her many
years of service to TAASA.
Gill Green (current President) and Josefa
Green (editor TAASA Review) had also come to
the end of their three-year terms, but offered
themselves for re-election, which the meeting
endorsed with enthusiasm. Boris Kaspiev,
Natalie Seiz, Sandy Watson and Margaret
White (previously one year term) were also
elected unopposed for three-year terms on the
Committee. The full list of TAASA Committee
members for 2014 appears on the Editorial
page of this issue.
In answer to a question about the redevelopment of the TAASA website,
arising from the minutes of the 2013 AGM,

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

the meeting was advised that the project

was moving forward. The Management
Committee meeting held subsequent to the
AGM confirms that a new website for TAASA
should be up and running this year.
At the conclusion of the AGM, Gill Green
introduced Professor David Christian from
Macquarie University, the inaugural TAASA
Orator. The TAASA Oration, a new initiative
of the Society, aims to provide an annual forum
where distinguished speakers can present ideas
and projects aimed to inspire. Dr Christian
certainly fulfilled those criteria. His specialty is
the concept of World History or Big History,
a new approach to history which attempts to
integrate knowledge drawn from a wide range
of disciplines from history to geology, biology
to cosmology. He is now working with the
support of Bill Gates on a free, on-line high
school syllabus. His talk was fascinating and
erudite, and certainly his basic argument that
the recent past is only understandable in terms
of the whole 14-billion-year span of time itself
is most attractive intellectually. While I freely
admit to finding his total concept somewhat too
complex to grasp in one sitting, his ideas and
presentation are very stimulating see Endnote
below on how to check this out further.
The first Management Committee meeting
after the AGM confirmed the new members
of the TAASA Management Committee and
saw the initiation of another new idea for
TAASA: Jackie Menzies was in attendance
as the first TAASA Ambassador, invited to

input ideas and advice to further TAASAs

aims. As Emeritus Curator of Asian Art at the
AGNSW and a past President of the Society
(1992-2000), Jackie is ideally qualified for this
diplomatic posting.
Im sure all TAASA members wish the
Management Committee, and especially
TAASA Executive members (President
Gill Green, vice-President Ann Proctor,
Treasurer Todd Sunderman and Secretary
Dy Andreasen), the new Events co-ordinator
Sandy Watson and new co-ordinators for
Victoria (Boris Kaspiev) and Queensland
(James MacKean), every success in working
together to increase our awareness and
understanding of the marvellous arts of Asia.
For more information on David Christians
Big History initiatives, see many websites
including Wikipedia and Macquarie Universitys
www.mq.edu.au/about/events/view/vividideas-exchange-david-christian-on-teaching-thebig-picture/

29

R E C E NT TAASA A C TI V ITI E S

TAASA Weekend Excursion to Canberra

14 15 June 2014
The final days of the National Gallery of
Australias exhibitions Gardens of the East:
Indonesian Photography 1850s to 1940 and
Finding your place in the world: contemporary
Indonesian photomedia coincided with the
beginning of another show, Bali: Island
of the Gods. Furthermore, a symposium
held in conjunction with the photography
exhibitions proved to be an ideal opportunity
for a group of TAASA members to gather in
Canberra over the weekend of 14-15 June.
It was a somewhat poignant treat to
be taken around Gardens of the East by
retiring curator, Gael Newton. We have all
benefitted immensely from her interest in
Asian photography during her curatorship.
Participants enjoyed hearing a range of
local and international presenters at the
Saturday symposium. Amongst them was the
celebrated contemporary artist F X Harsono,
whose work was included in the exhibition
Finding your place in the world: contemporary
Indonesian photomedia. He and other speakers
joined us for drinks generously provided by
Asia Book Room on the Saturday evening.
On Sunday morning, Robyn Maxwell took the
group through her latest, splendid exhibition,
Bali: Island of the Gods. Following an excellent
lunch at the gallery caf, we concluded the
Indonesian weekend with a most enjoyable
performance of Balinese Dance.
Ann Proctor
TAASA Symposium: Symbolism and
Imagery in Asian Textiles
19 July 2014
TAASAs flagship symposium was this year
held to celebrate the 20th anniversary of
the TAASA Textile Study Group, a group
whose members have unfailingly and
enthusiastically dedicated themselves to
promoting interest in and knowledge of all

facets of Asian textile study. The audience

of nearly 80 people was treated to three
stimulating presentations from Susan Scollay,
Christina Sumner and Siobhan Campbell.
A summary of their presentations have been
published in this issue (see pp4 12). Our
thanks to Ann Guild and Christina Sumner
for their efforts in organising this successful
event and to the Powerhouse Museum,
Sydney for the use of their lecture theatre.

threatened, initially by low priced mill

textiles during the British Raj and after
partition, by the loss of major markets
particularly Muslim Pakistan. Post
independence, the Government introduced
a Chikan embroidery scheme to revive the
craft but the artisans were exploited by
unscrupulous contractors. Today, SEWA (Self
Employed Womens Association) assist by
cutting out the middleman.

TAASA TEXTILE STUDY GROUP

Foreboding Future for Fragile Fabrics An illustrated talk by Sue-ann Smiles
7 May 2014
In this engaging presentation, Sue-ann
Smiles, a member of the TSG, examined two
very different textile traditions: the gold
thread brocade of Varanasi (Benares) and the
Chikankari embroidery of Lucknow and how
their future is, literally, hanging by a thread.

Her talk was supported by a display of

exquisite Brocade and Chikan work together
with her own wonderful photographs taken
during her recent travels to the region.
Helen Perry

Sue-ann explored the rich history of Varanasi

brocade from early accounts of woven gold
thread in Hindu scriptures of the Vedic
period, through its peak under the patronage
of the Mughal emperor Akbar, to present day
production as evidenced by her on a recent
visit to the artisans studios. Also discussed
was the evolution of brocade looms that has
allowed production of an affordable but far
poorer quality product. Due to the high cost
of employing traditional weaving methods,
the studios still producing the genuine article
now have a limited clientele.
Sue-ann explained how the production
of Chikankari embroidery has also been

Married women wear the kurotomesode for

the most formal occasions, usually in a
plain, darker coloured silk patterned only
below the waist with shorter sleeves. A red
lining and decoration inside the robe is
characteristic of vintage pieces. A silver or
gold brocade obi and matching zori (shoes)
and handbag completes the outfit.
The homongi is for visiting and can be a more
formal garment with pattern flowing around
the hem or over seams extending above the
waist onto sleeves and shoulders. Attending
a tea ceremony? Then you must wear the
iromuji which literally means solid colours
although black is excluded as it reserved for
mourning wear (mofuku). For more casual
engagements, the komon is worn which
has an all over repeat pattern, originally
stencilled.

Speakers at TAASAs Textile symposium. From L to R: Christina

Carole Douglas examining an exquisite Chikankari shawl

Sumner, Siobhan Campbell, Susan Scollay. Photo: Gill Green

Sue-Ann Smiles, Image courtesy of Sandra Watson

30

From Fashion to Passion: The kimono

culture of Japan 1900-present day
A personal exploration by Fiona Cole
11 June 2014
What kimono to wear and when to wear
it are two important dress considerations
in Japan. In June, our guest speaker from
Singapore led us through some of the
complexities of womens kimono including
its varying styles, construction, materials and
motifs. We learnt that a furisode with its long,
flowing sleeves and extravagant obi bow may
only be worn by young, unmarried women.
It can be lined or unlined according to the
season and may also be worn for Coming
of Age Day in January. Designs include the
Three Friends of Winter (pine, bamboo, plum
blossom) or lattice and drum.

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

TAASA CSG Ikebana event. Camellia and pine in stoneware

Russell Howard presenting Lao textiles from his

vessel arranged by Kuniko Nakano. Photo: Ann Proctor

collection to TAASA members. Photo: Boris Kaspiev

As Fiona revealed each strikingly and

beautifully woven kimono and shorter,
women and mens haori jackets from her
collection, audible oohs and aahs were
heard. We learnt that while kimono clad
ladies are an iconic symbol of Japan, in
the space of little more than a century this
garment has rapidly moved from being the
staple of every wardrobe to the preserve of
ceremonial occasions and specialist wearers.
Renting kimonos for special occasions is now
quite common. After donning white, cotton
gloves, keen participants eagerly got up
close and personal to the textiles.
Margaret White
TAASA CERAMICS STUDY GROUP
Ikebana: relating ceramics with
flower arrangement
7 June 2014
A meeting of the Ceramics Study Group was
held at the house of Dr and Mrs Tenpas one
Saturday in June. Twenty-two members and
friends gathered to hear Mrs Kuniko Nakano,
Head of the Sydney Ohara Group of Ikebana,
demonstrate the relationship between
ceramics and flower arrangement. This school
of Ikebana originated during the Meiji Period.
Kuniko Nakano has many years of experience
practicing and teaching this art form as was
ably displayed during the morning. She
produced three types of arrangement for
three differing types of ceramic vessel, each
of which expressed a particular aesthetic
mood. One, in a flat Oribe style of container,
appeared like a miniature garden behind a
fence and was enhanced by the placement of
a plain paper table screen at the rear of the
arrangement. The first arrangement in a hand
made stoneware vessel, used branches of pine
and camellia. Group members were surprised
to learn about the various devices, which

maintain the elements of the arrangement

in a perfect position. The final landscape
arrangement evoked a lakeside environment
with cleverly placed branches, ferns, flowers
and mosses.
We all expanded our knowledge of Ikebana
through the delightful presentation by Mrs
Nakano and her assistant, who explained
the philosophy and practicalities of this style
of flower arrangement in a charming and
knowledgeable manner. The CSG is grateful to
the Tenpas for the use of their home for this
most enjoyable morning.
Ann Proctor
TAASA IN VICTORIA
Visit to the textile collection
of Russell Howard
12 June 2014
TAASA Victoria members and guests were
privileged to visit the home of Russell
Howard, who has been collecting mainland

Southeast Asian textiles for more than 25

years. Most recently, Russell has focussed on
Tai textiles from north-east Laos. Viewing
a selection of ikat skirts, we were taken on
a textile journey from Sonla in north-west
Vietnam through north-east Laos and back
into Vietnams Nghe An province.
Russell explained how the function of the
skirts and the designs varied between the Tai
groups living in this mountainous area. We
then viewed a selection of ceremonial shawls
from the same area, dating as far back as
the late 19th century. Russell has regularly
travelled to Laos, and was able to share his
firsthand experience of the source of textiles,
the stories associated with their production
and use, and the changing nature of their
place in the culture of Tai people.
Russell drew on his extensive library
to illustrate the few published textual
sources about the history of textiles from
Laos. He discussed the potential for
misunderstanding the meanings of textile
motifs when researchers fail to establish
the place of origin of the textile and to
identify the Tai group that made it. TAASA
participants felt that they were fortunate to
be able to view such an extensive collection,
informed by Russells deep knowledge and

TAASA M E M B E R P ROFIL E S S I O B H A N C A M P B E L L

I am greatly excited to be welcomed into the

folds of TAASA, an organisation that fosters
such far-reaching knowledge, appreciation
and enthusiasm for the art and culture of
Asia. My own interests are based around
Indonesian material culture, an interest

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

that evolved from the study of Indonesian

language as a high-school student. Having
completed an undergraduate degree in
Asian Studies from the University of New
South Wales, I worked as a translator
and interpreter with the United Nations
Transitional Administration in East Timor and
later as a Liaison Officer with the Indonesian
Consulate General in Sydney. In 2009 I
beganpostgraduate study at the University of
Sydney, researching the Australian Museums
collection of Balinese paintings to examine the
relationship between the collecting process
and the contemporary production
of classical art in Bali.

I currently teach in the Indonesian Studies

program at the University of Sydney and
this year worked with Mosman Art Gallery
and Dr John Yu, AC to curate an exhibition
of Indonesian textiles from his collection.
In August 2014 I will commence a further
period of field research on Balinese art as
an Endeavour Postdoctoral Fellow. Over
coming years I look forward to sharing more
insights from my work with the TAASA
community and, more importantly, to learn
fromand be inspired by fellow members.

31

Chris Reid discussing textiles he displayed

at the QAGOMA talk. Photo: Gill Green

experience, and finished the evening by

asking him when he was going to write his
own book about this fascinating and little
known area of textile history. TAASA is very
grateful to Russell for allowing us to share
his passion, and we look forward to a return
visit to view his collection of Southeast Asian
palm leaf manuscripts.
Walkthrough of the exhibition
Bushido Way of the Samurai
5 July 2014
Wayne Crothers, Curator of Asian Art at the
National Gallery of Victoria, led TAASA Victoria
members on a walkthrough of the exhibition
Bushido: Way of the Samurai. It is believed this
may be the first exhibition about the samurai
shown in Australia. Most of the exhibits were
drawn from the NGVs own holdings, and some
have never been previously displayed.
Wayne highlighted objects of specific interest
for the history of collecting in Melbourne,
including suits of Edo period armour, horse
saddles and stirrups, a full set of horse
trappings and textiles that were acquired
by the NGV in Melbourne during the 1880s,
and other items whose acquisition was
made possible through the Felton Bequest.
Bushido includes items in a variety of
media: sumptuous textiles, lacquer work,
metalwork, wood block prints and sculpture.

THE TAASA
TEXTILE STUDY GROUP
IS TURNING 20

You and your partner are invited

to join us in celebration.
Date
Tuesday 28th October
Time 6.00 For 6.30pm unitl 9.00pm
Place Nigiris

81 Christie Street

St Leonards
Dress A touch of India
Contact Gill Green: gillians@ozemail.com.au

M: 0466 977 313
TAASA TSG Members and their Guests:
$50 Per Person. Bookings and payment in
advance are essential. No refunds
This includes: all entertainment, sumptuous
food, dessert, wine, soft drinks, tea & coffee
and much more.

32

For an in-depth article about the exhibition

and the history of the samurai, please see
Waynes article in the June 2014 of TAASA
Review.
Boris Kaspiev
TAASA IN QUEENSLAND
Member preview of Mossgreen
Asian Art Auction
5 June 2014
TAASA QLD members attended an Auction
Preview eveninghosted by Jan Manton
Gallery, with Mossgreen Director Paul
Sumner introducing Asian ceramics and
Chinese scholar pieces from their forthcoming
Melbourne auction. Guests were treated to
many interesting anecdotes and insights into
the Asian Art market, and were able to handle
selected items that Paul had brought with him
in his suitcase for the event!

Greg Pankhurst and Ruth McDougall, Curator,

Pacific Art, in front of textiles from Gregs collection.
Photo: Mandy Ridley

Paul Sumner presenting items from Mossgreens

forthcoming auction. Photo: Mandy Ridley.

Artist Talk Khadim Ali

26 July & 5 August 2014
On Tuesday 5th August, Josh Milani
Gallery hosted a viewing and talk by Josh
introducing the work of Australian based
Hazari artist Khadim Ali in his latest show
of works on paper, video, and featuring
three large handmade carpets with intricate
designs commissioned in Afghanistan
by the artist. Earlier, at the opening on
Saturday 26th July, TAASA members hadthe
opportunity of meeting the artist, who
talked very movingly about the plight of
the minorityHazari community in Southern
Afghanistan, and the thematic elements
informing his powerful works, which
continue to receive increasing acclaim both in
Australia - with his survey earlier this year at
AGNSW, and overseas at invited shows such
as Documenta.

TAASA members, resulted in a wonderful

weekend of textile discovery in Brisbane.
Greg has been a long time collector of
traditional textiles from south Sumatra,
especially tapis, Lampungs famed couched
gold thread womens skirt cloths. Persuaded
by Janet and James, Greg very generously
allowed Janet to curate a beautiful collection
of textiles selected from his collection.
The exhibition was hung in her Gallery 159
at the Gap, just to Brisbanes north. Visitors
were treated to a dazzling display of tapis and
also to a number of rare ship cloths. This
opening was preceded by a re-creation of
their Lampung wedding by TAASA members
Chris Reid and Evie Reid in the Queensland
Art Gallery, with the lecture hall decorated
by the actual textiles, many and diverse, that
accompanied their wedding in 2000. The
question for Greg on everybodys lips was
when was he going to write the book!
Gill Green

TAASA Queensland Textile weekend

2-3 August 2014
A meeting between TAASA Queensland
convenor James MacKean, The Australian
Forum for Textile Arts(TAFTA) founder,
Janet De Boer and the self-styled doily
collecting cowboy Greg Pankhurst, all

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

TAASA M E M B E RS DIARY
SEPTEMBER NOVEMBER 2014

TAASA Member Talk & Preview Bonhams

76 Paddington St, Paddington, Sydney
Wednesday 29 October, 2014, 6 -7.30pm
Bonhams will be holding an auction of a
major collection of snuff bottles covering
more than 360 bottles of various material:
ivory, rock crystal, horn, inside painted glass,
pecking glass, cloisonn, ceramics, lacquer,
and various hardstones, mostly of late 19th
century to 20th century. Bonhams Asian
Art Specialist, Yvett Klein, will walk TAASA
members through the collection, pointing out
highlights and providing some background
information on these exquisite objects.
Cost: $10 members, $15 non-members.
Refreshments provided. RSVP to
Gill Green essential by 26 October at
gillians@ozemail.com.au.
TAASA TSG Celebration Dinner
Tuesday 28 October 2014, 6-9pm
All welcome at this Diwali themed dinner.
For details see ad p32 and insert.
TAASA End of Year Party, Sydney
6- 8pm, Wednesday 3 December 2014
Korean Cultural Centre, Elizabeth St Sydney
Join TAASA to celebrate an active year for
the Society and to enjoy good company,
refreshments and a traditional Korean
performance.
RSVP to Sandy Watson at:
sandy.h.watson@gmail.com.
TAASA IN VICTORIA
Private Melbourne Japanese
art collection viewing
Further details to be advised.

TAASA Victoria end-of-year party

Thursday 4 December 2014, 5.30 7.30pm
East & West Art Gallery, East Kew
Cost: $20 members, $25 non-members.
Bookings essential.
For bookings and further information on
TAASA Victoria events, contact Boris Kaspiev
at: vic.taasa@gmail.com or 0421 038 491.
TAASA TEXTILE STUDY GROUP
All meetings held at the PLC Room,
Powerhouse Museum, 7.15 9.15pm
Refreshments provided. $10 members; $15
non-members. Email enquiries to Helen
Perry at helenperry@optushome.com.au.
The Rabari Shawl Symbol of Change
10 September 2014
Carole Douglas will talk about these woven
and embroidered shawls and how their use
and construction have evolved over time.
12 November 2014: to be advised.
TAASA CERAMICS STUDY GROUP
A dealers perspective: collecting &
authenticating Chinese ceramics
Presentation by Ray Tregaskis
Tuesday 30 September 2014, 6-8 pm
COFA, Paddington, Sydney
Join us for this presentation by long term
antique dealer and expert Ray Tregaskis and
take the opportunity to bring in your own
pieces for discussion at the meeting.
Members $20; Non-members $25.
Light refreshments.
RSVP to Margaret White: margaret.
artmoves@gmail.com

TAASA IN QUEENSLAND
Artist talk with Vipoo Srivilasa
Saturday 6 September, 3 - 5 pm
Edwina Corlette Gallery,
2/555 Brunswick Street, New Farm
On the occasion of this Thai-born Melbourne
based ceramic sculptors latest exhibition.
This is a free event. RSVP to gallery@
edwinacorlette.com; Tel 07 3358 6555
Lindy Lee Exhibition
UQ Art Museum
This first major survey of Lees practice
explores her acclaimed early photocopy work,
and work that evolved following her embrace
of Buddhism andher Chinese heritage. Join
TAASA QLD at the opening of this exhibition
in September, and later in October for a gallery
walk through with curator Michele Helmrich.
Dates and times to be advised. RSVP to
artmuseum@uq.edu.au. Both free events.
Empty Vessels II
22 -23 November 2014
Lesley Kehoe Galleries in Brisbane
On this weekend, Lesley Kehoe Galleries
will be transported from Melbourne to
a pop-up location in St Lucia, Brisbane.
An introduction to Tea and Zen, and to
Sake drinking culture, will accompany
the artisan vessels on display. There will
be a performance piece with music and
refreshments. Details provided on RSVP
to taasa.qld@gmail.com. Cost: $45
TAASA members, $70 non-members.
Numbers limited.

TAASA M E M B E R P ROFIL E S N A T A L I E S E I Z
My interest in Asian
art began when, by
necessity, I had to
enrol in a course
called Modern
Asian Art taught by
a new lecturer at the
University at the
time, John Clark.
It opened my eyes
to a world of art I had never contemplated
before. Sure, I have a rather diverse
family background: my father was born in
Harbin, China of a Russian migr parent;
my mother is from a traditional Chinese

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

family in Hong Kong, but they were both

immigrants in a white Australia. So it
may have been from this background that
I thought in Asian art I was going to find
out more about myself or where I fit in.
I wanted to do more research, so went to
Taiwan in 1999 where I lived and worked
for a number of years to learn Chinese. I
eventually decided to explore the work of
women artists, in the knowledge that the
voices of women are often left unheard.
When I returned to Australia, after working
at Gallery 4a, I got a position at AGNSW
working with the Asian collections and

have worked on number of exhibitions

since. I decided to study part time, and
received my PhD in Art History at the
University of Sydney last year, examining
the emergence of contemporary women
artists in Taiwan from the 1970s-2000s.
My interests in modern and contemporary
Asian art have broadened, and I continue
to speak and publish on women artists in
Asia. My current position at the AGNSW is
Assistant Curator, Asian Art.

33

W H AT S ON : S E P T E M B E R NO V E M B E R 2 0 1 4
A SELECTIVE ROUNDUP OF EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS
Compiled by Tina Burge
ACT
Stars of the Tokyo Stage - Natori Shunsens
kabuki actor prints
19 July 12 October 2014
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

The exhibitions kabuki actor prints reveals

the dynamic world of Japans kabuki theatre
through actor portraits created by artist
Natori Shunsen (18861960) in the 1920s and
30s. An inspiration to artists for centuries,
kabuki draws on Japans rich folklore,
literature and history, as well as violent,
romantic and scandalous events, to present
lavish and dramatic performances. Kabuki
actors were extremely popular in Japan
and were renowned for their flamboyant
portrayals, extraordinary characters and
colourful personal lives. Shunsens prints
provide a fascinating glimpse into this
glamorous world, while demonstrating
consummate mastery of traditional Japanese
printmaking techniques.
Exclusively from the NGA collection,
Stars of the Tokyo Stage explores kabuki
and modern Japanese printmaking in the
context of the great change taking place in
Tokyo in the 20th century. A selection of
spectacular kabuki robes further illustrates
the extravagance of the theatrical form.

Talks in conjunction with the exhibition

include:
Starstruck by Melanie Eastburn, Curator,
Asian Art, who will discuss the work of
Zoe Kincaid, a Canadian journalist and
kabuki aficionado living in Tokyo in the
1920s on 4 September at 12.45 pm

grey mist that was a constant element within

their surroundings and their artworks reflect
their responses to their environment.

Turning Japanese: the art of collecting Japanese

prints by Mark Henshaw, author of the
recently published novel The snow kimono,
and former Curator, International Prints at
the National Gallery of Australia

23 September 2014 September 2015

There will also be films associated with the

exhibition:
The actors revenge (DVD, 1963, M, 113
mins) on 7 September 2.00 pm

Eryldene Historic House and Garden

SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Elegant Pursuits Art of the East Asian Scholar
Until 7 December 2014
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide

Presents the cultivated environment of the

scholar-artist filled with the implements for his
aesthetic, moral and spiritual cultivation such
as flowing calligraphy, austere ceramics used
for tea, lacquerware and sculpture. Essential to
the scholars practice were the Four Treasures
(brush, ink, inkstone and paper) which were
believed to reveal his true character. The
dynamic qualities of the brush and ink pervade
the display on screens and hanging scrolls.
For further information go to:
www.artgallery.sa.gov.au.

22 August - 25 October 2014

Gallery 4a, Sydney

portraits by Shunsen , Woodblock print; ink and colour

Jennifer Gordon,1998

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The exhibition showcases a spectacular

selection of over 700 pieces of jewellery and
body adornments from Australia, Europe,
Asia, Africa and the Pacific. On view will be a
large selection from the Museums significant
collection of Asian jewellery. See pp16 17 in
this issue for a preview of the exhibition.

For further information go to:

www.nga.gov.au

Jensen Tjhung

on paper. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, gift of

The Powerhouse Museum, Sydney

Chinese Arts Weekend

Haze - Tully Arnot, Sarah Contos,

Matsumoto KOshirO VII as UmeOmaru in Sugawaras secrets

A Fine Possession: Jewellery And Identity

Kabuki documentaries, which take the viewer

backstage, on 28 September at 2.00pm.

NSW

of calligraphy 1926 from the series Collection of creative

For further information go to:

www.4a.com.au.

Haze is an exhibition of new work by

Australian artists Tully Arnot, Sarah Contos
and Jensen Tjhung. Together, these three
artists undertook 4As inaugual Beijing
Studio Program at the studios of ChineseAustralian artist Shen Shaomin in Huairou
on the northern outskirts of Beijing in
September 2013. They were transfixed by the

13 - 14 September 2014
17 McIntosh Street, Gordon, Sydney

Including performances and a talk by Jackie

Menzies. Details on www.eryldene.org.au.
QUEENSLAND

A program of exhibitions celebrating

contemporary Japanese art and fashion will
be held at the Queensland Art Gallery (QAG)
and Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) over
2014-2015.
Hanga: Modern Japanese Prints
16 August 2014 8 March 2015
QAG, Brisbane

The exhibition will explore the texture, colour

and innovation of Japanese printmaking
from the 1960s to the present. It showcases
printmakers working in a variety of
techniques and styles, including innovators
such as Kiyoshi Saito, as well as artists
known in broader contemporary art contexts
such as Toko Shinoda, Tadanori Yokoo and
Masami Teraoka.
Over sixty works from the Gallerys
collection of Japanese prints created after
1950 will be displayed. This highlights the
ongoing importance of the printmaking
tradition in Japan, where artists continue
to draw from centuries-old techniques and
imagery, while innovating and experimenting
with new forms and technologies.

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

We can make another future

6 September 2014 21 September 2015
GOMA, Brisbane

The exhibition will include Japanese

contemporary works from the QAG &
GOMAs permanent collection including
Kohei Nawas glass bauble-encrusted PixCellDouble Deer#4 (2010) and Yayoi Kusamas
immersive, mirrored installation Soul under
the moon (2002).
Future Beauty 30 Years of Japanese Fashion
1 November 2014 15 February 2015
GOMA, Brisbane

Future Beauty explores the tremendous

innovation of Japanese fashion designers
from the early 1980s to the present.
With nearly 100 garments featured in
the exhibition, ranging from the classic
and elegant to outrageous, this will be a
fascinating experience and rare opportunity
to view these unique creations first hand.
Japanese fashion made an enormous impact
on world fashion in the late 20th century
with designers such as Issey Miyake, Rei
Kawakubo of Comme des Garons and
Yohji Yamamoto. Their works will be shown
alongside examples by the techno-couturier
Junya Watanabe, a protg of Kawakubo,
together with the pioneer of the Ura-Harajuku
movement Jun Takahashi, and the new
generation of radical designers including
Tao Kurihara, Hiroaki Ohya, Matohu, Akira
Naka, Hatra and mintdesigns.

Curated by Japanese fashion historian

Akiko Fukai, Director of the Kyoto Costume
Institute in Japan, the exhibition explores the
unique sensibility of Japanese design, and its
sense of beauty embodied in clothing.
Check the gallerys website for details
about discussions, talks and tours with
international and local guest speakers,
designers and curators, including the
opening weekends events on 1-2 November.
For further information go to:
www.qagoma.qld.gov.au
VICTORIA
Bushido Way of the Samurai
4 July 4 November 2014
National Gallery of Victoria - International

The exhibition explores the fascinating world

of the samurai who were the warriors, rulers
and aristocratic elite of Japanese society for
more than 800 years from the 12th century
through to the end of the Edo period in 1868.
Bushido: Way of the Samurai focuses on samurai
as both warriors and men of refined culture
and showcases the attire of the samurai in
the form of armour, helmets, swords and
equestrian equipment. It displays the cultural
pursuits of samurai in the form of Noh
costumes, calligraphic scrolls, lacquer objects
and tea utensils and re-lives the legacy of
bushido through representations of samurai
in large screen paintings, dramatic woodblock
prints and noble studio photographs.
For further information go to:
www.ngv.vic.gov.au
INTERNATIONAL
UNITED KINGDOM
Ming the golden empire
National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
27 June 19 October 2014

The exhibition includes works from the

Nanjing Museum, including Chinese
National Treasures, and introduces key
aspects of the Ming dynasty, focussing on
the remarkable cultural, technological and
economic achievements of the period.
For further information: www.nms.ac.uk
Ming 50 years that changed China
18 September 2014 5 January 2015

University of Oxford, have jointly curated this

years blockbuster exhibition at the British
Museum. Ming 50 Years that Changed China
focuses on the 50 years from 1400 to 1450
that the curators maintain, changed China
irrecoverably. It was not only a period when
the Ming dynasty established Beijing as the
capital and built the Forbidden City, but also a
period when China was thoroughly connected
with the outside world enabling Chinese
artists to absorb and reinterpret outside
influences. The exhibition will feature a range
of spectacular objects including porcelain,
gold, jewellery, furniture, paintings, sculptures
and textiles from museums across China and
the rest of the world. Many of the pieces have
only been recently discovered and have never
been seen outside China.
For further information go to:
www.britishmuseum.org
USA
Assyria to Iberia at the Dawn
of the Classical Age
22 September 2014 4 January 2015
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

At its height in the 8th to 7th centuries BCE

the Assyrian Empire was the largest empire
the world had yet seen, reaching from
Assyria (present-day northern Iraq) to the
Mediterranean. The exhibition will comprise
of over 260 works of art on loan from
collections in Western Europe, the Caucasus,
the Middle East, North Africa, and the
United States. The pieces will reflect the deep
roots of interaction between the Assyrians
and their trading partners along the shores of
the Mediterranean.
For further information:
www.metmuseum.org.
FRANCE
Splendours of the Han: Rise of the Celestial
Empire
22 October 2014 March 2015
Musee Guimet, Paris

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of

diplomatic relations between France and
China, this exhibition showcases the artistic
legacy of the Han, including painting,
bronzes, ceramics and lacquer ware, drawn
from major Chinese museum collections and
recent archaeological finds.

British Museum, London

Yohji Yamamotos Spring/Summer 1995 Collection, Kyoto

Costume Institute, Photograph byTakashi Hatakeyama

TA A S A R E V I E W V O L U M E 2 3 N O. 3

Jessica Harrison-Hall, the British Museums

curator of Chinese ceramics, and Craig
Clunas, professor of the history of art at the

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