Made by Joanina Marques. Lra’ara, Lospalos, Lautem District, Timor Leste (East Timor).
Handspun cotton; slit tapestry, warp ikat, weft twining, supplementary-weft wrapping. L: 95.5” (243 cm), W: 18” (46 cm). Circa 1970s.
Very good condition with only slight fading on one side. It is a beautiful and rare textile.

This textile was exhibited in the recent Fowler Museum show on Timor textiles and published in the catalog
“Textiles of Timor, Island in the Woven Sea”, by Roy W. Hamilton and Joanna Barrkman. Page 226, item 11.17.

Roy Hamilton was able to research this textile and found the original weaver, living in her Lra’ara clan hamlet, near Lospalos, the capital of Lautem District, Timor Leste.
He writes extensively on her weaving and life story. There is a photo of her and other weavings starting on page 222 to page 226 of this catalog.
She is considered a master weaver.

For price or additional information, please email your request, with inventory number and title description, to: majtribal@gmail.com.