19th Century Batak Ritual Cloth (Ulos Ragidup)

This Batak ritual cloth, or ulos ragidup, was made in the 20th century in Sumatra, Indonesia out of cotton.

The Batak people live in the highland of Sumatra, a large and relatively sparsely populated island of Indonesia. Nowadays mostly Christian with a Muslim minority, Batak artists incorporate elements of their indigenous religions into their ceremonial textiles.

The ulos  ragidup is one of the most important of Toba Batak textiles. Woven in three section and sewn together lengthwise, the ends of the striped center panel are decorated with fine weft patterns while the side panels are of solid red brown.