Incredible Ikat from Flores

Narrow vintage ikat sample piece

A chance to buy a textile treasure. A narrow hemmed band cut from an old traditional ikat sarong. The photos show some of our selections.

Size: 10 - 15 cms wide x approx 130 cms

Colours: deep rich browns, chestnut browns and burgundy reds with creams and pale sandy yellows.

Soft vintage ikat scarf

A lovely scarf which has been made from an old traditional sarong. We bought this piece from a lady with a small stall on the road to N'Gela. She buys up old sarongs from her neighbours, cuts off the worn out parts and hems them into fringed scarves. Beautifully soft texture to make an awesome scarf.

Size: 29 x 142 cms inc short fringes

Colours: Black, chestnut brown and beige

Soft vintage scarf from Ende

Another lovely soft scarf made from an old traditonal sarong with ancient designs. I bought this one from a woman selling from her small stall on the streets of Ende's market.

Size: 25 x  140 cms (including short twisted fringes)

Colours: deep rich brown , burgundy and chestnut brown

Ikat wall hanging from N'Dona

A stunning ikat bought from the women of the ikat co-operative in N'Dona village near Ende. The women here work together to make and market their beatiful work which uses exclusively naturally dyed yarn.

Size: 27 x 145 (excluding fringe)

Colours: browns and indigos - beautiful dark blue borders with lovely variegated fringe

Fabulous hanging from N'Gela

N'gela is a village on the southern coast of Flores which is incredibly difficult to reach down a long and very degraded road. In the end it was worth the trip! The women here make what I consider to be the best ikat in all of Flores. This beautiful naturally dyed piece could be used as a wall hanging or scarf

Size: 49 x 144 cms excluding fringe

Colours: deep brown, dark indigo and pale brown with lovely long rich brown fringes

Naturally dyed wall hanging from N'Dona

Beautiful fine ikat hanging we bought from a women's weavers co-operative near Ende in Flores. So good you'd have to put it on the wall!

Colours: beautiful, deep indigo blue, and rich chestnut red browns all yarns are dyed using natural plant dyes (including morinda and indigo)

Size: 36 x 150 cms.

Traditional woman's sarong from N'Gela

Beautiful traditional ikat sarong woven in three pieces and hand stitched together to make a woman's skirt tube which can be worn in a variety of ways. Hand spun heavy cotton gives this sarong a wonderful drape and weight. Lovely hand stitched seams.

Size: 146 x 180 cms (if opened out)

Colours: Beautiful subtle and deep natural dyes of mengkudu root (morinda citrifolia), mangrove bark, indigo and mango leaf

Mama Katerina's ceremonial indigo ikat

 An amazing piece of indigo ikat bought from the maker herself, Mama Katerina in the Bajawa region of Flores. This ikat cloth is made to wear as part of community rituals. The cloth is woven in three separate sections which have been hand stitched together to form a tube garment.

Colours: indigo blue with white motifs.

Red, orange and white ceramic beads and tiny cowrie shells form a design of crabs and a central motif of a figure in a sailing boat. Pieces like this (called Lawo Buto) are only worn at the most important rituals and never for everyday wear. Mama Katerina kindly offered to show me how it is worn. 

Size: 150 x 170 cms 

Narrow ikat scarf

An example of a traditional ikat from N'Dona village in Central Flores (an island of Indonesia)

Size: 19 cms x 1.25 m