The photographs of the Swiss geologist Wolfgang Leupold (1895–1986) represent valuable ethnographic sources, thanks to their temporal and geographical coherence. Precisely through their private character, they are exceptional testimony to a Swiss-Indonesian entangled history in the early 20th century and, simultaneously, are documents of great photo-historical interest and high aesthetic value.
The present publication takes readers on a journey to a handicraft that causes not only experts to prick up their ears but laypeople as well, capturing their imagination with each new chapter. At the same time, ethnologists and art historians aid in becoming familiar with the object of research from various directions. Ikat, the technology and art form of creating complex patterns on hand-woven textiles that is practiced primarily in Indonesia, India, and Central and South America, has continuously developed over the course of centuries. Foreign influences were absorbed and creatively integrated into local patterns. The main objects of research are works by female master weavers from eastern Indonesia and Timor-Leste. Their fabrics reflect not only fashion and modernity but also aspects of globalization. (German edition ISBN 978-3-7757-4186-6) Exhibition: Museum der Kulturen Basel 21.10.2016-26.3.2017