A little research confirmed my suspicions that the eastern Indonesian island of Sulawesi was not the type of place that the average American tourist would be likely to visit during the 1970’s. So when Betsy mentioned that the ikat I was interested in buying had been purchased when her family was living on that island between 1976 and 1978, I was immediately intrigued.
It was not just the lovely ikat that drew me in; there was something about Betsy’s words, how they dropped hints without filling in the whole picture as if she knew the right person would naturally want to learn more.
When I told her I was planning to write this post, she explained that her husband, Gene, was the one who loved textiles – all kinds including rugs; not just ikats. While they were living in Indonesia, he was traveling from island to island working on projects to improve access to fresh water during the long dry season. He would make a point of visiting remote villages and would ask if they had any ikats for sale. They would hold up amazing locally-made textiles for his inspection.
When Betsy asked if I might be interested in seeing more of the lovely ikats that Gene had purchased, I told her I definitely was. And as luck would have it, Betsy had recently published a memoir about her adventurous balancing act of a life. That was a wonderful way to address my desire to get to know this remarkable woman better. What I learned from reading her book is the subject of this separate blog post.
When Betsy sent me photos of additional ikats, I told her that Gene and I seemed to appreciate many of the same qualities to be found in these ikats. Their diversity speaks of the influence of their specific island cultures, as well as expressing the individuality added by the weavers who put their whole hearts into their work. I decided to purchase ones from Sumba, West Timor and Flores.
As it happens there are great books on textiles from those three islands that include wonderful stories about individual ikat weavers and their communities:
Between the Folds; Stories of Cloth, Lives and Travels from Sumba by Jill Forshee
Textiles of Timor; Island in the Woven Sea edited by Roy W. Hamilton and Joanna Barrkman
Gift of the Cotton Maiden; Textiles of Flores and the Solor Islands edited by Roy W. Hamilton
Radiant Refuge 