Borneo Ulap Doyo Skirt Panel with Crocodile Motif
Borneo Ulap Doyo Skirt Panel with Crocodile MotifBorneo Ulap Doyo Skirt Panel with Crocodile Motif

Ulap Doyo Skirt Panel with Crocodile Motif

Benuaq-Bahau, Borneo, Indonesia

Lemba Fiber (Curculigo latifolia)

Early 20th Century
15x48 in/38x122 cm

The Benuaq of East Borneo create a fiber cloth ulap doyo made with a curliglia larfolia, the warp of which is ikated then woven on a narrow back-strap loom. This classical pattern features an elongated crocodile motif, buaya, which is also a famous totem design on Iban Dayak ritual cloths found in Northwest Borneo.This suggests a shared archaic origin for the motif. This piece is from an Old German Collection.