Walk in Splendor

Ceremonial Dress and the Minangkabau

Edited by Anne and John Summerfield with contributions by Taufik Abdullah, Khaidir Anwar, Redjeki Arifin, Hanefi, Norman Indictor, Lisa Klopfer, H. A. Sutan Madjo Indo, Imran Manan, Anas Nafis, David and Vicki Salisbury, Ibenzani Usman, and Indra Utama

Embellished with incredibly sophisticated gold, silver, and silk patterning, the refined ceremonial textiles of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra are often so complicated that even a highly skilled weaver can complete only a few centimeters in a full day at her loom. Motif patterns woven into these exquisite cloths reflect the Minangkabau adat—the indigenous ideology that prescribes rules for all activities and speech. In this lavishly illustrated volume, thirteen contributing authors—nine of them Minangkabau—join editors Anne and John Summerfield in a scrutiny of the ways in which the adat permeates Minang life. In addition to essays explicating male and female ceremonial dress (and others addressing motifs, fibers, and patterning techniques), a thorough analysis of Minangkabau traditional architecture; ceremonies, including marriage, and associated foodways; jewelry; music; dance; literature; and historiography enlivens this comprehensive examination of Minangkabau culture.