Woman’s bridewealth gift textile (kewatak nai telo)

In the Lamalera community of Lembata island, the bridewealth textile represents the most highly-valued locally-produced textile, based on its elaborate use of ikat in the woven designs. Constructed of three panels, the outer two are formed of symmetrically mirrored patterns of stripes and bands of ikat, while the center consists of a continuous pattern of ikat weaving. Such a cloth, along with a set of ivory bracelets, served as the bride clan’s offering to a marriage; in exchange, the groom’s gift was an elephant tusk. The ikat designs on these cloths were ultimately inspired by imported Indian patola cloths that were prized and preserved among the clan’s treasures. When learning the ikat designs, however, a woman would not copy directly from the patola; rather, the patterns would be passed down from her mother and grandmothers.