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Exhibition of rare Indonesian textiles at Gallery

An exhibition featuring rare and intricate Indonesian textiles is currently on show at the Latrobe Regional Gallery.

By Latrobe City - 1st March 2006 - Back to News

‘Speaking with Cloth: Cerita dalam Kain’ features thirty-six magnificent Indonesian textiles from the significant Abbott Collection 2000, donated to the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory by Mr Michael Abbott QC.

A variety of Indonesian textile forms are displayed in ‘Speaking with Cloth: Cerita dalam Kain’ including fragile ritual cloths, precious heirloom garments, magnificent ceremonial banners, and intricate trade cloths along with humble textiles used in everyday life. Highlighting the technical diversity and aesthetic splendour of textile traditions across the Indonesian archipelago ‘Speaking with Cloth: Cerita dalam Kain’ presents textiles from the islands of Timor, Roti, Savu, Lemabata, Bali, Lombok, Nusa Penida, Sulawesi, Sumatra and Java.

Gallery director, Louise Tegart, said the exhibition is the culmination of an extraordinary search by James Bennett, former curator of South East Asian art and material culture at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, in Darwin.

"In 2002, James Bennett travelled throughout Indonesia to discover the forgotten stories behind a unique collection of nearly 500 Indonesian textiles donated by Asian textile and ceramic collector Mr Michael Abbott QC.

"During his time in Indonesia, James Bennett met with Indonesian people from all walks of life who described the significance of the collection and how the history of these textiles has touched upon their personal lives," Ms Tegart explained.

"These commentaries, portrayed in the exhibition through a series of interpretive panels, eloquently articulate the significance of each textile and reveal the broader social, cultural and religious significance of these textiles in the context of Indonesian’s ethnic and religious diversity. Consequently, Speaking with Cloth: Cerita dalam Kain shapes the reading of the textiles to reflect an Indonesian cultural perspective," Ms Tegart added.

"The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory is pleased to tour these significant textiles throughout Australia, made possible through the generous funding provided by Visions of Australia and the Australia Indonesia Institute."

‘Speaking With Cloth: Cerita Dalam Kain’ will be on display at Latrobe Regional Gallery until Sunday 2 April.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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