This Ata Diken should return to its Tana Ekan | Research and reflection on the V&A Museum Archive
This was originally posted on my personal blog at the Royal College of Art.
Foreword
Right from the start of this task, I already had a plan: I wanted to see if the V&A had anything of my people’s artefact. It was no secret that many museums in the Western world’s collection depend on artefacts that are not theirs. One can argue that collaborative efforts are welcomed — for example, an array of artefacts or just one can be borrowed from one museum to another so that many more people can see what the rest of the world’s culture looks like. Still, much of the fundamentals of Western museums and galleries rely on the belief that they can “take care of it better” (Hunt, 2022; Intelligence Squared, 2012; LastWeekTonight, 2022; Mungai, 2018).
In that case, much to my surprise — or not, actually — I found an Indonesian fabric, which I will refer to from this point onward with the Sanskrit/Indonesian terminology, which is wastra (meaning traditional textile/fabric), listed as ‘Unknown’ (Victoria and Albert Museum [V&A Museum], n.d.). The only information in the caption is its dimensions, 225cm x 115 cm, and that it is from the island of Lembata, specifically from the region of Atadei. They did not have the name of the fabric — nor did they have procured the time, I assume, to research it, so I took the time to do so.
I found the writings of Lusiana Limono, a researcher of Indonesian wastra, whose writing informed me many things about the community and the culture of Atadei. The name of this particular motif of fabric is called ata diken — meaning humans holding hands. I read and wrote extensively about this fabric with the time that was given, translating from Bahasa Indonesia and summarising the writings of Limono in this document that is available to read below. But, to summarise, the motif of ata diken, and from the descriptions given by her writings, this specific textile is Atadei’s women’s day-to-day attire, called kain petek or petek sarong, have meaningful stories woven into it. The motif of stars, boats, stingrays, and humans holding hands symbolises the essence of the Atadei, thus preserving their ancestral culture, belief, and, quite literally, their lives.
As I was researching this, my heart grew weary. I am not a descendant of the Atadei people, but I have a sense of filial connection as we share the same identity and plight as Indonesians being descendants of the oppressed, I think of the descendant of the Ina (in the language of the Lembatan people, meaning ‘mother,’ who are the weavers in Atadei) who created this particular piece of kain petek that is now archived in the V&A. They probably have no idea that the motif of their Ina — as motifs are sacred and passed through from mother to daughter and kept within the family — is being held captive miles away, titled as unknown, only identified through the modern name of their Tana Ekan (Earth) with no specificity. In other words, the story of an Ina and her children, and the Ina before her and the ancestors before her, is now just ‘Unknown’ (20th Century). [Ikat, Weaving. 225cm x 115 cm].
I truly believe this piece of kain petek with the beautiful motif of ata diken, with the visible motif of mokung (stingrays) should return to its Tana Ekan so that it can be worn by the children of its Ina by the people of Atadei, who are protected by the Lera Wulan (the Sun and the Moon).
General Information
This was inventoried as an ‘Unknown Sarong’ from Indonesia from the 20th century. According to the V&A information, this was purchased from the Island of Lembata, which is in Nusa Tenggara Timur. [1] As an Indonesian, I could tell from the motif, even at a glance, that this came from the Nusa Tenggara Timur region. As an archipelago, we have distinct motifs in our cultural attire/textiles. I found a researcher who did specific research on the ethnic community that still produces this type of textile until now.
On the island of Lembata, there are several ethnic groups within their regions, and this particular textile is from the region of Atadei. Like much of Indonesian ethnic wastra (the Indonesian term for Indonesian ethnic traditional fabric/textile), the specific weaver is unknown, but upon further research, I can confirm that this is indeed the motif of the Atadei people.
My research led me to the writings of Lusiana Limono[2], a researcher of Indonesian traditional wastra, who informed me of the name of this specific motif. This motif is called ata diken. Her research required her to do direct research on the island and meet the people of Atadei, seeing the works and communities herself. This type of textile is still actively being created, but it is a slowly diminishing type of artistry as it needs specific requirements to create this kind of woven fabric.
From this point onward, any information about the history of the textile, and the history of the Atadei people comes from Limono’s essay, not from the V&A museum.
[1] Victoria and Albert Museum, “Sarong | Unknown | V&A Explore The Collections,” Victoria and Albert Museum: Explore the Collections <https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O140465/sarong-unknown/>.
[2] Lusiana Limono, “Rekonsialisasi dalam tenun : Sebuah kisah dari Atadei, Lembata,” BWCF, 2021 <https://borobudurwriters.id/kolom/rekonsialisasi-dalam-tenun-sebuah-kisah-dari-atadei-lembata/> [accessed 30 October 2023].
History
The Lembatan people are part of the ethnic group Lamalohot. The Lamalohot people are scattered across East Flores, Solor, Adonara, and Lembata. Atadei is a region in the middle of the Lembata island — Ata means human, and Dei means to stand, and ata diken is the motif of the Atadeian people.
The legend of Paji and Demon surrounds the woven fabric’s history and motif. It divides the motif types into two groups: the Demong motif (Demonara) and the Paji motif (Pajinara). The people who created the Demong motif live in the north; patterns of chickens, flowers, birds, and lizards dominate their motifs, while the people who created the Paji motif live in the South; patterns of stingrays, marine biota, stars, dragon tails, humans, and boats dominate their motifs.
The dominance of this legend proves the influence of Hinduism and Indian culture in culture and Lembatan’s wastra, especially in the beliefs towards the God Indra. Other signs of influence include references to Brahmanism beliefs like the snake symbolism in certain woven fabric, the way stones are stacked in place of worship, and the way buffalos are raised for sacrificial rituals. Ivories and patola fabric from India are kept as rare precious keepsakes.
The story is about two siblings who fought — and this story clung to the people of Lamalohot to the point that it divided the people into two divisive groups that often ended in bloodshed. This story is so engraved in their culture that it is part of their ancestry, beliefs, and rites.b This story comes from Lite, Adonara. Uniquely, every time there is a dispute, it will always end with a reconciliation. This reconciliation will be held through a specific rite — the rite itself will be related to the woven fabric created. Limono sees this as a sign that wastra is an artefact of culture. Through wastra (traditional woven fabric), we learn the influences of culture, history, and the ancestry of one’s community.
Beliefs
Lera Wulan (The Sun and the Moon — the Highest) and Tana Ekan (The Earth) are the mythology of the dualism of life, the intricacies of love and hate, and the complexities of what happens in nature that connects with existence itself. Lera Wulan Tana Ekan, if translated literally, would bear the meaning the universe.
Gender Roles in Atadei
Woven fabric is usually related to women, but Limono noted that the usual stereotypes that “modern” Westernised womenhood concepts do not apply to Atadei women. To Lamalohot women, to be a woman is to work with wood — to cook with wood, to weave with the weaving machine created with wood, to colour the threads with wood, to gather firewood in the afternoon — wood is not masculine for the Atadei women, it is womenhood.
Gender binaries exist, but not to the degree that we often see. Each gender has its chores, and they usually mingle within their genders. Still, the symbolism that they believe is that Ama Lera Wulan (the Father of the Sun and Moon) protects and the Ina Tana Ekan (Mother of the Earth) provides.
Meaning
Woven fabric or wastra has the highest value in Atadei culture, and it is the creation of women. Weavers have a special kind of dignity in Atadei society. Motifs are special in families and taught from mother to daughter — when they get married, they choose to continue their mothers’ motif or follow their husband’s family motifs. To choose to let go of their mother’s motif, they need to do a special ritual.
The men’s sarong is called nowin — they have a red-black checkered pattern. Women’s sarongs are called petek, with more variation from two to five sheets of fabric. Ritual sarongs are cylindrical — to signify the cycle of life. The day-to-day sarongs are cut and stitched together.
The dominant motifs in ata diken are the motif hiraten (stars with eight angles), tenar (boat), mokung (stingrays), and motif ata diken (humans holding hands). Stars — The sky of Lembata is always clear; stars act as signposts. Lera Wulan (the Sun and the Moon) is the universe’s protector. Boats — related to the story of their ancestors; that their ancestors came from many places and they were once travelers of the sea. Stingrays — social relations with other humans, symbolising the relations with other traders that come to trade with them and the harmony they have with the Earth (Tana Ekan) that provides and fends for them. Humans holding hands — signifying community, reconciliation, the work of women and men to create the harmony of Atadei people. Limono interprets this as their way to represent the importance of harmony in the Lamalohot culture, especially within the Atadei people.
This woven fabric can only be made by certain people — specifically dedicated to women. Limono interprets this as a way to protect the concept or ideology of gemohing or gotong royong (mutual cooperation). My observation is it protects the roles of women in the community, as well as protecting the artistry and practice of this wastra/woven fabric/tapestry.
Bibliography:
Limono, Lusiana, “Rekonsialisasi dalam tenun : Sebuah kisah dari Atadei, Lembata,” BWCF, 2021 https://borobudurwriters.id/kolom/rekonsialisasi-dalam-tenun-sebuah-kisah-dari-atadei-lembata/
Museum, Victoria and Albert, “Sarong | Unknown | V&A Explore The Collections,” Victoria and Albert Museum: Explore the Collections https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O140465/sarong-unknown/
