Kewatek, the Ikat Textiles from Adonara

Abstract

Abstract Ikat textiles (kewatek) from Adonara, one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, are still seldom researched by textile specialists (Vatter 1984 [1932]; Barnes 1989). This article is the first account by a descendant from the island that builds on these studies to describe the social and cultural organization and taboos concerning ikat-dyeing and the weaving of kewatek in the twenty-first century. It also discusses recent government intervention and the actions of local NGO s to sustain Adonara textile identification and to stimulate the weaving of these sarongs for economic household purposes.