Traditional Ikat Pahikung Blue shipping w/ Turtle Design

shipping Ikat Pahikung is a weaving technique used on horizontal back tension looms that employs supplementary warps to embellish textiles with an infinite range of geometric and zoomorphic designs, many incorporating the rich iconography of Sumba Island. East Sumba is the only region in the entire Malay Archipelago where supplementary warp decoration has reached such a high degree of refinement.

These Pahikung weavings are woven on supplemental warp looms. Most commonly beginning undyed, sometimes the cotton dyed with either indigo or morinda, then hand embellished by painting the supplemental color dye onto the warp threads after the initial pattern weaving is complete. This technique is called ndatta and this step is passed from the original weaver to a specialist who will use a tooth brush with very few bristles (as few as one sometimes!) and their own judgement on coloring. Good quality pahikungs are colored with natural dyes such as inidigo, morinda and yellow kayo kuning.