Loom Design · 18. October 2022

Loin Looms of Flores - backstrap weaving

Loom Design/Loomates/Flores >> | Indonesia

Loin Looms of Flores

The loin loom of the Sikka people on Flores Island in Indonesia is a perfect example of a stake loom-type. The Sikka weave very flat and horizontal to the ground, called a ground loom. As the length of their warps are usually quiet long (maybe about 4-5 m long circular warp), they like to use two further stakes, driven into the ground at the heights of their feet, to stop their foot-brace at! They don't use a reed comb, just the batten sword to beat-in the weft. Little bells are added to some of their batten rest tables. And of course, they use this typical Indonesian yoke. The height of the warp beam, what is actually in most cases rectangular, isn't managed by a rope to fixate as usual, but another stake and/or stone down under. That's another archaic brandmark of a Sikka Loom.

Ethnic group: Sikka (Austronesian) - Flores, Indonesia

Loom category: [B] Externally-braced, body-tensioned handlooms with a circular warp

Loin loom group: stake loom; subgroup: yard loom

warp type: circular warp

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The backstrap weaving Sikka Looms of Flores Island

Sikka-Weberinnen an ihren typischen angepflockten, flachen Bodenwebstühlen mit Rundkette, Ost-Flores, ca. 1915

(Le Roux - wikimedia)

Bildquelle:

Tropenmuseum - Le Roux: Weefsters met weeftoestellen, Sikka, Oost-Flores, ca. 1915 - https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11840/7808

Weberin mit einem Hüftwebstuhl in Flores, 1920-1940 (Beltjens - wikimedia)

Bildquelle:

Tropenmuseum - Beltjens: Weefster achter een weefgetouw, 1920-1940 - https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11840/215333

Frauen des Ngada-Volks mit Spindeln, Sinnrädern und Hüftwebstuhl, Zentral-Flores (Westen?), 20. Jhd.?

(Tropenmuseum - wikimedia)

Bildquelle:

Tropenmuseum - anonymous: Vrouwen van de Ngadastam met spinstaafjes, weeftoestel en spinnewiel, Centraal-Flores - https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11840/214265