The Art Institute of Chicago
Museum Studies
Volume 33, no. 2 (Fall 2007)
Edited by Gregory Nosan
Showcasing nearly seventy works, this special issue of Museum Studies explores the E. M. Bakwin Collection of Indonesian textiles, which entered the Art Institute of Chicago in 2002. Lavish illustrations and accessibly written essays introduce readers to a rich variety of ceremonial objects from hangings to sarongs, investigating the sources, motifs, and uses of one of Asia’s most spectacular art forms. In the Indonesian Archipelago, with its more than 17,000 islands, almost every ethnic group has a legend that tells how the art of weaving was brought by a celestial being, and weavers have long used many of the world’s known techniques of textile production. Village women supervise every stage of the process, collecting plant fibers and forming them into threads, dyeing with natural substances, installing looms, and patterning through weaving, resist-dyeing techniques, and other means of decoration. Often worn on special occasions or presented as a gift or offering, an Indonesian textile might illustrate its owner’s ethnic identity or descent, give spiritual protection, display status, or strengthen alliances. Each piece in the E. M. Bakwin Collection can be read as an image of the local culture that produced it and is full of information on cosmic beliefs, venerated customs, technical expertise, social structures, and trade links. These splendid objects represent the finest examples of Indonesia’s textile heritage and evoke the cultural complexity of this crossroads region, which was shaped by influences from China, India, Europe, and the Middle East.
Articles in this publication:
Brigitte Khan Majlis, “Behind the Warps and Wefts: Indonesian Textiles in Context”
Brigitte Khan Majlis, “Deft Hands and Divine Patterns: An Introduction to Indonesian Textile Techniques”
112 pages, 8 3/8 x 10 1/4 in.
ISBN-13: 9780300119466
ISBN-10: 0300119461
