A reassessment of the Indonesian textile collection

As part of a project led by Vanessa von Gliszcynski, the Southeast Asia curator, textiles from the extensive collection of Indonesian textiles were unrolled, examined, displayed and photographed at the Weltkulturen Labor in 2014. The aim of the project was to re-examine the significance of the fabrics and their motifs. In this context, recognised regional scholars, textile experts and ethnologists were also involved in the research.

The majority of the textiles entered the museum in the late 19th or early 20th century. These included Prada works from South Sumatra collected by the museum’s founder, Dr Bernhard Hagen – woven fabrics printed with gold leaf. Rare Doppelikat fabrics from Bali, as well as woven fabrics from the eastern Indonesian islands of Seram, Sermata and Kisar, were also exhibited as part of the project at the Weltkulturen Labor.