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Large piece of cloth worked in an ikat technique. The cloth is decorated with broad and narrow bands with various motifs including (a) rows of geometric shapes dots I-forms and possibly stylised flowers worked in red and white on a dark blue ground; (b) paired birds (herons) ghost-like figures (skull trees) fish hens and cockrels beetles dots (rice grains) all worked in white on a dark blue ground and (c) paired birds and dots worked in white and black on a red ground.
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Sumba has a long history of headhunting that died out in the 1930s. The Sumba islanders would mount heads on trees to scare off enemies and also to bring prosperity to their village.