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Maa cloth

Creator Name

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Unknown

Cultural Context

Indonesia (Toraja, Sulawesi); European for the Indonesian market

Date

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19th century

About the work

Curationist LogoCurationist Object Description
Maa are cloths used by the Toraja on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. Their origin stories and other relevant narratives are typically depicted on the cloths. The Tree of Life found on this cloth reflects the broader influence of Indian textiles on those made for export to colonial markets in northern and western Europe. Unfortunately, the use of this motif also tells us this cloth may not have been intended for use in the Toraja community.

Work details

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Title

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Maa cloth, late 19th or early 20th century, European for the Indonesian market
Maa cloth

Creator

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Unknown

Worktype

Textiles

Cultural Context

Indonesia (Toraja, Sulawesi); European for the Indonesian market

Material

Printed cotton

Dimensions

73 1/4 × 39 5/8 in. (186.1 × 100.6 cm);
height: 186.05537centimetre;
width: 100.647705centimetre

Technique

--

Language

--

Date

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19th century
late 19th or early 20th century

Provenance

Funds from various donors, 2015

Style Period

--

Rights

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Public Domain
Public Domain

Inscription

--

Location

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Europe

Subjects

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Tree of life; Man; Bison; Floral motif; Ceremonial object
Trees

Topic

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Spice Trade

Curationist Metadata Contributors

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Christina Stone; Jessica Gengler

All Works in Curationist’s archives can be reproduced and used freely. How to attribute this Work:

Unknown, Maa cloth, late 19th or early 20th century. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Origin stories are typically depicted on Maa cloths from the Torajan people of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Public Domain.

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