TAPIS INUH CLOTH

The Tapis Inuh, is created by the Saibatin (coastal) community of Lampung. The customs and traditions there are typical for settlements near coastal areas. The outstanding characteristic at this tapis is the use of the ikat weaving technique, which is popular in Indonesia, and is found here in combination with white silk embroidery, suggesting Chinese influence, and mica adornments, pointing to a connection with Indian.
Along the middle section of the cloth, we have a characteristically coastal motif, depicting a squid or cuttle fish. This motif is exclusively used for members of nobility, since the squid is regarded as a creature possessing extraordinary capabilities, like the ability to walk on the bottom of the sea or it's guileful metamorphic way of changing color, when it needs to fool a predator. This tapis cloth was worn by a lady of the aristocracy, when attending ceremonial occasions.