Selasa, 26 Agustus 2008

Man Traditional clothing


Babarenese man wearing loin clothes which are abundanly decorated with ikat figures. This pic was taken in 1913.

Woman traditional clothing

The pic above are woman of Babar archipelago wearing adat (traditional) clothing. It was taken in 1913.

Rabu, 20 Agustus 2008

Maluku tenggara: the forgotten island


Maluku Tenggara, the southeast moluccas, is the name of chain of island in the east of indonesia which stretch over a distance of almost a thousand kilometers between timor and New Guinea. The island lie between the easterly longitude of 125o45’ and the southerly latitude of 5o and 8o30’ and have total land surface area of 25,000 square kilometers. Administratively the region is part of province of maluku.

Maluku tenggara is sparsely pupolated, isolated area and it lies on periphery of the Indonesian archipelago. Large part of the region are very difficult to reach. Only the southern islands have airline link with the outside world.

Later in the century, collectors came across other cultural manifestations, like woodcarving, were evidence of unique artistic appreciation. This particulary concerned the product of sophisticated goldsmith and the rich weaving trsdition of Maluku Tenggara which, in addition the wooden statues, became highly desired collectors’ item. Even sacred heirlooms which, thanks to their ancestral powers, protected the owners from calamity and which traditionally only left the house in an exchange of gifts between families, found new owners. Though the export of such pieces is now forbidden, proverty still forces families to sell them.
Promenty present in the most of the villages of eastern Maluku Tenggara were large statues of the village guardian and the village founders, whose aid was essential for the survival of the community. The former villages of Tanimbar have been compared to eagles’ nests. On elevated locations on the steepest rock and surrounded by thick walls of stacket coral rock there were safe havens in turbulent times of war. Wooden and stone stairways sometimes decorated with animal figure that were also carved in family shrines or boat, provided entrance to the gates, in which doors were hung during wars. The post and the wings of the gate were also decorated with carving.

The photograph above is statue of village guardian of Olilit (Tanimbar) with his wife. Male statue at the right, named Sumaka, female statue at the left named Bora.