CRAFT STORY | ASIA & THE PACIFIC | INDONESIA | WEAVING
The Sacred Weave of Sumba
Far out in the eastern reaches of the Nusa Tenggara Timur archipelago lies Sumba – an island of windswept savannah and ancient animist traditions. Often referred to as the forgotten island, Sumba is a land where spirits still inhabit the trees and stones, where wild horses gallop freely alongside buffalo, pigs, and goats, and where the art of traditional weaving is not merely a craft but a sacred ritual.
While outsiders may marvel at the dramatic textiles of Sumba, it is the island’s understated yet indispensable baskets that quietly anchor its traditions. These woven vessels, crafted with meticulous care, are not mere objects of utility but sacred offerings—an essential part of ceremonies, rites of passage, and everyday life.
Each basket serves a purpose: to carry gifts to the ancestral spirits of Marapu, to present betel nut, a symbol of respect and friendship, or to store the small relics of Sumbanese existence. Betel nut, central to Sumbanese hospitality, is placed in these woven trays, mixed with slaked lime and tobacco leaves before being wrapped in a betel leaf and chewed.
This ritual, which produces a mild euphoria, fosters kinship, seals bonds, and marks significant moments in social and spiritual life. The presence of a finely woven basket, brimming with betel nut offerings, is a gesture of honour and tradition—an unspoken language of welcome and reverence.
The craft of basket weaving begins in the hills, where men harvest pandan leaves with handmade machetes, blades worn at their hips as an extension of their being. The leaves are then dried and delivered to the Ibus—the elder women who possess the ancestral knowledge of weaving.
Their hands, weathered yet dexterous, transform these raw fibres into exquisitely woven forms. Some baskets, made from palm leaf, are simpler, but the most prized are those of tightly woven pandan, known for their durability and fine, precise structure.
Like Russian nesting dolls, Sumbanese baskets often conceal hidden compartments—small, woven drawers within their forms, used for storing sacred objects or personal heirlooms.
Each basket tells a story, its weave and design signifying its intended role within the community, whether it belongs to royalty or commoners, whether it will be used in a wedding, a funeral, or a harvest festival. These baskets are made to last a lifetime, their craftsmanship embodying both practicality and spiritual significance.
Yet this tradition is vanishing. As younger generations drift toward modernity, the art of basket weaving, once passed from mother to daughter, now lingers in the hands of the elders. The timeworn rhythm of weaving, once inseparable from daily life, is fading into the past. To hold a Sumbanese basket today is to grasp a piece of a disappearing world—an artifact of a culture whose roots run deep but whose future is uncertain. In a decade, these baskets may no longer exist, making each surviving piece a testament to an ancient way of life on the brink of being lost.
Words by Rebecca Manners
Images from Martin Svoboda
EXPLORE THE ATLAS
