Sora langi woman’s tube skirt (opened), Toraja, Sulawesi, Second half 19th Century, 72 x 56 in / 183 x 145 cm, courtesy of Thomas Murray.
Thomas Murray is taking part in Santa Fe Virtual Show from August 11-15 (Booth 31).
One of the piece in the show is this Sora langi. This is the name of a rectangular cloth that could be stitched up on the vertical seam and worn as a tube skirt, however many were kept as flat textiles and used ceremonially. These are relatively rare and comparatively early, with this most likely dating to the mid 19th Century. It is thought that they were woven in Galumpang to the taste of the ethnic groups living to the north in the Bada, Napu and other valleys. The colors are deep and the fine line progressions offer a very fine aesthetic.