Andung Ikat: Skull-Tree Sumbanese Cloths

Headhunting tradition woven into textiles

Headhunting was once a wide-spread cultural practice in Oceania. The tradition was an integral part of the belief system and related ceremonies. It took various forms from literal to more symbolic. In the islands of Indonesia the practice was suppressed in the early 20th century by Dutch and later Indonesian authorities. However, the practice is still reflected in ceremonial life of various cultural groups, such as the Dayak and Iban people of Kalimantan and Malaysian Sarawak. On the Indonesian island of Sumba in the Lesser Sunda Islands, the head hunting tradition remains vividly reflected in rituals and associated textiles. The central motif of this tradition is a skull tree. In the old days a skull tree andung would stand in the central square of a Sumbanese village. The skulls of enemies would hang on this tree as the unifying symbol for the village and tribal solidarity. The skull tree represented the demise of an enemy and the security of the village. The tree was also important in local religious rituals associated with the change of seasons, the coming of rain, and the fertility of the land.

Textiles depicting the skull tree are still of ritual importance in village life and tradition. Such cloths are a reminder of the past where women used them to receive and cradle heads of the enemies brought back by the men after a successful head-hunting mission, whether obtained in war or through stealthy raids on an enemy village. The captured heads were displayed during preparation for war as well as in fertility festivals. The andung ikat, depicting a skull tree, had been an important element in the tribal festivals as a metaphor for fertility in agricultural and marriage ceremonies, and is still worn at ceremonial occasions and funerals. These cloths also highlight the women’s role in the head-hunting traditions of Sumbanese people.

Explanation:

Ikat – the word, borrowed from the Indonesian language, describes the method of weaving that uses dyed threads to produce coloured patterns, as well as the type of fabric made in this process.

 

Dr Stan Florek , Database Manager
Last Updated: 7 June 2011