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Lot 719
TWO "TAMPAN" MATS
Estimated Value:
1.500 € - 2.500 €
Result:
incl. Premium and VAT
Description:
South Sumatra, Lampung, early 20th c.67 x 83 / 62 x 76 cm
Bamboo, pigments. Two tampan mats from southern Sumatra, which are part of a very old tradition. They consist of bamboo strips that are pierced and held together by plant fibers. In the central boat of the upper mat sits a large bird (Garuda), which embodies the upper world. The smaller birds symbolize ancestral spirits. The lower tampan shows a large central boat carrying a tree of life. The model for this tree of life was probably the European spruce. Human figures symbolize the ancestors.
Collected from an old German private collection since the 1950s - Minor signs of wear
The mats and ship stables from Lampung are world famous. They are certainly among the most impressive pictorial representations in Indonesia, but have not been produced for over 100 years. They usually show one or more ships, stylised human figures, animals such as elephants, büffel etc. on which people are riding, naga (mythical dragon snakes) and lifeblood. These mats and cloths are not only used for funeral ceremonies, but also for circumcision and wedding ceremonies and other important occasions.
Soul boats are an immensely important motif throughout Indonesia. The älst depiction of a soul boat can be found on a drum from the Don Son culture (ca. 800 BCE to 200 CE), which was found in northern Vietnam on the border with the Chinese province of Yunnan. Although the area is home to large rivers such as the Mekong, it is far from the sea. It is known that the people of this culture, which had a great influence on Indonesia, buried their dead in boat-shaped coffins. Even today you can still find large, richly carved depictions of soul boats on the Jarai tombs in the central highlands of Vietnam, which guide the souls to another world after death. For the Indonesians, whose ancestors travelled to the islands of the archipelago on boats, these ancestral boats have a profound double meaning. The Toraja on Sulawesi also see their tongkonan (Häuser) as a kind of ship. They say: "We came in ships and we will leave this world in a ship.". On the coasts of the Südost Asian mainland, there are still boats with a high stem and bow that resemble the Häusers of the Toraja, Batak and other ancient ethnic groups
