Woman’s Ceremonial Skirt, tapis inuh cumi cumi, Paminggir People, Lampung, 19th century, cotton, silk; embroidery, warp ikat, 50.5 x 45.5 in. (128 x 116 cm.)

Important Indian, Indonesian and Other Textiles and Masks: Inspiration and Interpretation, Thomas Murray
Online and in person by appointment, March 16-25

This Asia Week, Thomas Murray, who is based in California, hosts a display of important textiles and masks on his gallery website. For collectors with particular interest, he also has available a choice selection for examination by appointment in New York.

A number of the textiles are drawn from his new publication, Textiles of Indonesia, which presents an array of traditional weavings from the Indonesian archipelago and provides a unique window into the region's cultures, rites, and history. The objects comprise ritual clothing and ceremonial cloths that tell us much about the traditions of pre-Islamic Indonesian cultures, as well as about the influences of regional trade with China, India, the Arab world, and Europe.

L-R: 1. Nuo Mask, Minority Areas, Southwest China, 19th/ early 20th century, wood, pigment, fiber; 2. Court Mask of a Hero, with Old Label, Cirebon, West Java, 19th/early 20th century, wood, pigment, leather; 3. Apa Mask “The Father” Character, Monpa or Sherdukpen People, Arunachal Pradesh or Bhutan, 19th century or earlier, wood, pigment

Thomas Murray is currently also offering an exceptional exhibition of masks from numerous tribal groups, ranging from the Himalayas to Indonesia, even a Swiss mask from a remote Alpen valley. These striking images are crafted of a variety of materials, including wood, metal, and papier mache.

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