Old Sumba Man's Cotton Ikat Hinggi, Indonesia, mid 20th Century. Hinggi are large blankets decorated with warp ikat. They were used for government exchanges, as well as for men's clothing. They were usually made in pairs, one cloth wrapped around the hips and the other was thrown over the shoulder. Hinggi worn by nobility were usually larger and dyed with red and indigo; the color and motif indicated the status of the wearer as well as the giver. The designs refer to local objects such as horses, roosters, deer, snakes, fish, and prawns as well as the skull tree, mamuli, a gold ornament that also indicated rank, and foreign symbols such as dragons taken from Chinese ceramics and the lions of the Dutch coat of arms. Size: 100'' x 48'' (254 x 122 cm).