An Indonesian Ceremonial Bridal Textile (Silk "Cloth of Gold"), Palembang, Sumatra, Early 20th Century

Finely woven in silk with metallic-thread decoration forming an intricate allover design. According to the accompanying account from the collector, a cloth of gold was the traditional wedding kain (cloth or sarong) worn by Indonesian women, wrapped around the hips of a wealthy bride during the wedding ceremony in Palembang, Sumatra.

The present textile came from one of the prominent families of Palembang and was presented to the collector as a farewell gift by her students while she was teaching at the Methodist English School in Palembang. Recalling the occasion, she wrote, “They all turned up at our house, dressed in native dresses, beating drums, singing, and carrying this cloth of gold.” The gift thus preserves not only an important ceremonial textile but also a remarkable record of cultural exchange between Indonesia and an American educator during the mid-twentieth century.

Based on the substantial weight of the silk textile, the excellent preservation of its metallic-thread decoration, and its apparent age, the weaving has long been regarded by those familiar with Palembang ceremonial textiles as an example of exceptionally high-quality craftsmanship. The precise composition of the metallic threads, however, has not been scientifically analyzed.

Length: 82 in. (208.3 cm). Width: 32 in. (81.3 cm).