Ceremonial mat (lampit)

Woven mats are used throughout Indonesia, in whose tropical climate they are more practical than carpets. This mat (lampit) made by the Paminggir people of southern Sumatra most likely had a ritual, rather than a utilitarian, purpose. Unlike the textiles of the region, which were woven by women, mats were made by men, who burnt the patterns into the rattan with hot pokers.
The square format of the mat and the radial arrangement of its motifs suggest ancient connections to Hindu and Buddhist sacred diagrams. The motifs seen here (solar disks, stylized boats, combs, roosters, and other birds) are also common on woven cloths of the region. Ceremonial mats would have been used at events of social and spiritual significance, and many of the motifs are symbols of transition.
Such mats may have functioned as seats for the communities spiritual leaders on these important occasions.
Decorated mats of this kind were sometimes paired with a small ceremonial cloth (tampan). These two important items of regalia were stored together in ancestral temples. Like many of the other Islamic peoples of Indonesia, the Paminggir people exchanged mats, textiles, and other precious goods during major ceremonies. The number and quality of gifts exchanged marked the prestige of both the donor and the recipient.