Ulos

Ulos ( Cain ulos ) are traditional, rectangular, hand-woven blankets of the Batak Toba in northern Sumatra, Indonesia. In the Karo Batak cloths are called uis. At weddings the Batak goods are with Ulos all "female" (Gifts ) where the bride's parents to the young couple, which is a symbol of power coming Beshir is seen.

Production and sales

The manufacture of linen has survived in some regions today. They were and are manufactured to Rückengurtwebgeräten. Today mainly fully mechanized looms have taken over the function, also semi-automatic Trittwebstühle used. The cloths produced are mainly sold in the markets of Pematang Siantar and Kabanjahe where high demand exists through middlemen and direct buyers. Ulos have very different Stilistika and ceremonial meanings. Often there are orders from the various batakschen regions, such as the Simalungun or Angkola - Batak.

Ulos in ceremonial life

Particularly valuable and symbolic Ulos be used for weddings and funerals, besides also on the occasion of Knochenumbettung, one arrested in the central beliefs traditional ancestor worship. The towels are not only worn, but exchanged according to specified rules among themselves. Higher notables bear in mind subordinate people.

In the rite ' gift expresses that happiness and blessings accompany the newlyweds. The confirmation and consolidation of newly established family relationship is, however, no less in the foreground. The case exchanged Ulos ragidup ( life - pattern cloth ) is assigned by the father of the bride to the groom's mother and represents the most symbolic of the Toba Batak cloth, often produced by ikat technique. This technique has in the Batak on the specialty that in the chain of the middle piece of the ( multi-part ) cloth hung another chain for the white-ground end panels and interwoven with this is ( connecting two chains in a weaving ). A special moment presents at a wedding next to the giving of cloth, whose folding represents the actual marriage ceremony is performed by the involution of the newlyweds in a ragi Hotang. The verrichtende bride's father speaks of his blessings. In poorer families the Ulos comes sitoluntuho used.

Small children are donated by the maternal grandparents called Ulos mangiring. These wipes are much narrower.

Even at funerals and Knochenumbettungen finds the Ulos ragidup application. Corpses, coffins and exhumed bones are covered with this symbolic cloth.

Gaps in research

The Toba Batak knew besides the aforementioned towels more traditional textiles that had meaning in the ritual and ceremonial context. Many of them are no longer produced, or designation or motive of the ornaments are little known, if at all. Only the dimensions of the towels or their origin, permit conclusions. So can be identified hip or shoulder cloths ( Ulos ragi na marpusoran or bintang maratur ). Another traditional loincloth was the Ulos ni tondi. It was the soul ( tondi ), which is why this cloth had to be carefully chosen. It had a special power, and accompanied a person for a lifetime. Mourning and headscarves ( tumtuman ) can no longer be proven beyond doubt.