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Source Description
On the Indonesian island of Sumba, <em>hinggi</em> were one of two types of textiles that were worn for ritual ceremonies and used as exchange gifts required on occasions of birth, marriage, or death. Traditionally, their designs reflect the religious and social structure of Sumbanese culture. The abstract motif in the center of this mantle represents an open shellfish, symbolic of royal power. The crocodile, seen here in the red bands to either side of the central band, is also associated with royal power as well as with Sumbanese mythology of the afterlife. The larger, standing male figures wearing horned headdresses are an extremely ancient motif, going back to the Neolithic period.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
150439
label
Hinggi
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
150439
contentType
object
title
Hinggi
description
On the Indonesian island of Sumba, <em>hinggi</em> were one of two types of textiles that were worn for ritual ceremonies and used as exchange gifts required on occasions of birth, marriage, or death. Traditionally, their designs reflect the religious and social structure of Sumbanese culture. The abstract motif in the center of this mantle represents an open shellfish, symbolic of royal power. The crocodile, seen here in the red bands to either side of the central band, is also associated with royal power as well as with Sumbanese mythology of the afterlife. The larger, standing male figures wearing horned headdresses are an extremely ancient motif, going back to the Neolithic period.
date
early 1900s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79932876
genreSpecific
Textile
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 239.4 x 117.2 cm (94 1/4 x 46 1/8 in.)
cul
Indonesia, Sumba, early 20th century
accession
1981.217
Source extras
tec
cotton, ikat dyed
tombstone
Hinggi, early 1900s. Indonesia, Sumba, early 20th century. Cotton, ikat dyed; overall: 239.4 x 117.2 cm (94 1/4 x 46 1/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. Martha G. Thomas, 1981.217
collection
Textiles
creditline
Gift of Mrs. Martha G. Thomas
updatedAt
2026-05-29 07:45:40.483000
sourceId
150439
dept
Textiles
coll
Textiles
med
cotton, ikat dyed
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
6ba97540b2860062