Nusa Penida Ritual Cloth (Keling )

Nusa Penida is a small island situated south east of Bali.The keling cloth, indigenous to this island, is another example of abstract Indonesian textiles, perhaps the most subtle and austere of them. The cotton warp is of plain indigo or black while the stripey or checkered design is achieved with a mix of silk and cotton weft. Red, white and yellow are usually silk while the blue and black are cotton. Keling cloths were used in birthday ceremonies as well as in demon chasing and as gift covers. This keling is older that the other keling that we purchased recently, TX4326, however it has some imperfections.