Walk in Splendor Ceremonial Dress and the Minangkabau

Embellished with incredibly sophisticated gold, silver, and silk patterning, the refined ceremonial textiles of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra are often so complicated that even a highly skilled weaver can complete only a few centimeters in a full day at her loom. Motif patterns woven into these exquisite cloths reflect the Minangkabau adat - the indigenous ideology that prescribes roles for all activities and speech. In this lavishly illustrated volume, 13 contributing authors--9 of them Minangkabau--consider ceremonial dress, motifs, fibers, patterning techniques, traditional architecture, ceremonies, jewelry, music, dance, literature, and historiography.