Ikat

Ikat:
The spectacular and very famous ikat of Sumba is made of cotton hand spun, traditionally dyed with local plants (Kombu - Indigo) and minerals.
Thread is spun from July to October, then bound for patterns until December. After the rainy season, they collect indigo plants and kombu tree leaves for dying. In Summer, after harvest, women began to weave and it can take one year for one piece of textile. On some kind of ikat, cowrie shells and colourful beads are intricately apply in keeping with old artistic tradition.
Patterns of ikat combine animals, plants, geometric motifs and ethnographic symbolism.
Ikat textiles are used for exchange at important ceremonies and show one’s social status. At funerals, the most exquisite textiles are placed in the grave for use in the afterworld.