Timorese man’s cloth

A Man’s cloth, flat rectangle mantle with fringes at both ends.  The textile is made of two panels seamed together side-by-side to give the proper width. Originally worn as a shoulder cloth in the more remote areas of Timor, this type of cloth was eventually repurposed to be worn as a lower garment, replacing the loincloth.

Traditionally woven by women on a body tension loom, this warp-faced plain weave utilizes cotton threads that were tie-dyed before they were woven. This technique is called ikat, and it has a long tradition in Indonesia where the word Ikat originated.