Ancient technique of ikat in danger of disappearing

A 19th-century shawl from Palembang, Sumatra, using both songket and weft ikat techniques. This limar textile was the preserve of the royals and the nobility. Photo: Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

Remembering their headhunting days

Ikat cloth used to be worn daily on Indonesia’s Sumba island. But today it is only worn on special occasions – births, graduations, marriages, and funerals. Fewer women are weaving ikat Sumba, and even fewer children want to learn the technique. And the textile is also under threat from fakes.