Below is a letter from Textiles of Indonesia author Thomas Murray:
It is with gratitude and affection for the weavers of Indonesia that Thomas Murray and Sotheby’s offer the first copy of a new book, Textiles of Indonesia, for auction, to benefit CARE, and through them the people of Indonesia.
Thomas Murray writes: “this publication is the culmination of more than forty years exploring Austronesian Island culture, as perceived through the lens of early ceremonial cloth and costume. It is nothing less than my life’s work.”
“I wish to express a tremendous gratitude for the work of the many that have come together to create a new academic and aesthetic resource for the greater understanding and appreciation of what Robyn Maxwell calls ‘The Enduring Art of Women’.”
The textile photography in the book is stunning, capturing every colour, thread, and bead. A dozen leading scholars have contributed original essays that touch upon topics philosophical and art historical: migrations, motifs and looms; agency and aesthetics; and the science of radiocarbon dating and metallic thread analysis. There is perceptive examination of the weavings from the Batak of Northern Sumatra, the Lampung region of Southern Sumatra, the Iban of Borneo, and the Toraja of Sulawesi, as well as heirloom textiles from Lombok, Sumba, Flores, Timor, and the Eastern Islands, all places where archaic forms and themes have survived. Many of the textiles depicted are so rare that we are seldom able to see more than one or two together in a publication, this book remedies that limitation. Amongst other themes, the book illustrates the complex dynamics that operate between the constraints of customary law, adat, and the weaver’s personal creativity.
Rural areas in the Indonesian archipelago, which are the home of these unique traditions, have been particularly hard hit by the ongoing Pandemic, which has come on top of a series of natural disasters. The CARE organization is one of the most respected NGOs working in this region. They provide disaster relief, as well as long-term programs to improve sanitation and to improve the condition of women in the remoter parts of the archipelago.
Book 1 (of 300) of the limited presentation edition of Textiles of Indonesia is a unique collector’s item with a special cover design. All the proceeds from its sale to go to CARE. On behalf of Thomas Murray and CARE we encourage you to bid generously. Please help us to make a difference!
– Thomas Murray and Sotheby’s
Bidding opens on October 29th. For More Information Click Here.