Kauer Jacket - From Lampung Area

Description

Kauer Jacket
KAUER JACKET
Kauer Bengkulu Indonesia Sumatra
handwoven supplementary weft sewn embroidered appliqued cotton nassa shell mirror "cermuk" metallic thread silk.
Unmarried woman's jacket for ceremonial occasions. From the Kauer people of Lampung Province. The Kauer inhabit the mountainous west coast of Sumatra in southern Bengkulu Province, across the border from Lampung Province. They do not live in the immediate vicinity of Lampung Bay proper. The basic fabric is handspun, handwoven cotton. Embroidery and applique are added to the cloth after weaving is completed. The applied elements include mirror pieces called "cermuk" and ground nassa shell beads. The cloth is then cut and sewn to form the jacket.
Gittinger, Mattiebelle. 1979. SPLENDID SYMBOLS: TEXTILES AND TRADITIONS IN INDONESIA.
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This ceremonial short jacket features a rich combination of natural dyes, silk and cotton weaving, metallic threads, and colorful patterned trade cloth. The garment’s handsome fabrics are further embellished by an abundance of white shells, embroidery and insets of almost microscopic mirror pieces that are stitched on to the front panels. This is the finest and smallest mirror work of this type ever noticed on these jackets. Mirror pieces also glitter around the banded collar of this exquisite ceremonial costume.
Young women of the Kauer district of the western highlands of south Sumatra wear decorative long-sleeved jackets on ceremonial occasions. There is little variation in the designs on these short jackets, and this example shows the typical intricate embroidery and supplementary weft weave with which the front and back panels are filled. These jackets were usually woven to accompany an ornate, formal skirt or tapis and the weaving pattern included the decorative panel that would appear in the jacket back and the colorful stripes for the bodice and sleeve decoration.
When the weaving was completed, the entire length was embroidered. This included making the two badges on the jacket front and often applying several hundred tiny mirror pieces. Two rectangular pieces were cut from the end, tapered, and sewn into tubes for the sleeves. After being assembled the jacket was lined, usually with imported cotton. Finally, shells were sewn onto the neck opening.
Because of the very weight, this type of jacket is unsuitable for the tropical climate of Sumatra's west coast. As a result, young women traditionally carried their jackets wrapped in tampan to the vicinity of the celebration and donned them at the last minute.
This item is sewn onto a canvas and encased in a beautiful wooden frame. Measures 52" x 18" inches.
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