Ceremonial Cloth (geringsing wayang kebo)

According to tradition, the Hindu god Indra established the village of Tenganan Pegeringsingan as an earthly representation of the cosmos. Ceremonial textiles created there are renowned throughout the island of Bali for their magical and protective powers because of the site’s cosmological significance. Men, women, boys, and girls wear these cloths as belts, shawls, or wrappers for public ceremonies and private rituals. In this composition, a repeating design appears between the three dominant star shapes that features a trio of figures: a squatting priest or hermit with turbanlike headgear at center, a reverent woman kneeling in front of him, and a woman seated behind him with a headwrap indicating she may be the priest’s wife.