Double red-ship palepai ceremonial textile, Paminggir peoples, Kalianda peninsula, Lampung, south Sumatra, Indonesia, radiocarbon-dated to the period 1652–1806. 2.95 × 0.61 m (9′ 6″ × 2′ 0″). Thomas Murray Collection. Via Hali.
A very curious ship indeed.
The exhibition at the Fowler Museum at UCLA, Los Angeles is showing until 28 August 2016. The following is an extract from a review by Thomas Murray in HALI 188:
‘‘Art of the Austronesians’ is a comprehensive examination of the greatest maritime explorers the world has ever known. Linguistics, archaeology and DNA analysis demonstrate a common origin for peoples stretching from Madagascar to Easter Island.
Anthropologists have identified several cultural features carried by Austronesians, including customs such as headhunting, ancestor worship—especially as represented by sculptures coming in pairs—and animism, the belief that all things are spiritually animated by a life force and therefore have a psycho-spiritual connection which may be tapped into with the help of a shaman.
Let’s see more from the exhibition, plus other similar shapes from elsewhere.
