Hinggi (early 1900s): Art, History and Details

Hinggi (early 1900s) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

Each hinggi consists of two panels stitched together down the center and often, as in this mantle, finished at either end with a band woven with supplementary warps. The geometric motif repeated across the center of this hinggi is a symbol of royalty; the rampant lions, borrowed originally from European coats-of-arms, designate royal power; the large marine shrimp signify longevity, while the Trees of Life between the shrimp symbolize fertility; and the paired deer in red bands at either end are emblems of royal privilege since the hunting of deer was, traditionally, the prerogative of the king.

Object facts

• Title: Hinggi
• Date: early 1900s
• Culture: Indonesia, Sumba, early 20th century
• Type: Textile
• Technique: cotton, ikat dyed
• Dimensions: Overall: 258.4 x 87 cm (101 3/4 x 34 1/4 in.)
• Collection: Textiles
• Department: Textiles
• Accession number: 1980.199

Collection credit

Mary Cunningham Memorial Fund

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.