The traditional dress of NTT isn't one costume but many, and it changes from tribe to tribe. From Rote's Tenun Ikat and Ti'i Langga hat to Sumba's Hinggi and Manggarai's Kain Songke, each has its own name and meaning. Here are seven of the best-known traditional costumes of NTT and the tribes they come from.
The named traditional costumes of NTT
1. Tenun Ikat and Ti'i Langga (Rote tribe). Rote's dress has become one of the icons of NTT. The top is an ikat-woven cloth, often paired with a long white shirt, while the headpiece, the Ti'i Langga, is a hat made from dried lontar palm leaf, shaped a little like a Mexican sombrero.
2. Hinggi (Sumba tribe). A Sumbanese man's dress uses two woven cloths, the Hinggi Kombu and Hinggi Kawuru. The head is wrapped with a band called Tiara Patang, shaped into a crest.
3. Sabu tribe dress. For men, a long-sleeved white shirt is worn over a cotton woven sarong. The sarong's motif and colour signal the wearer's origin and standing.
4. Amarasi (Dawan tribe). The Dawan costume, called Amarasi, pairs a kebaya with a shawl across the chest and a woven sarong below.
5. Helong tribe dress. Helong women wear a kebaya or kemben with a sarong secured by a gold belt (pending). The crescent-shaped headpiece is called bula molik.
6. Tenun Ikat Patola (Lio tribe). The Lio people preserve a cloth called Tenun Ikat Patola. It was once worn only by chiefs and royalty, which is part of why it carries such high value.
7. Kain Songke (Manggarai tribe). Kain Songke is the essential dress for Manggarai women, worn like a sarong and dominated by black, a colour that stands for dignity and grandeur.
pakaian adat ntt
- Classification (busana wanita Manggarai)
- Kain Songke, busana wajib wanita Manggarai, dipakai seperti sarung, didominasi warna hitam yang melambangkan kebesaransumber
- Classification
- berbeda di tiap suku, dasarnya kain tenun ikat; nama terkenal: Tenun Ikat dan Ti'i Langga (Rote), Hinggi (Sumba), Amarasi (Dawan), Tenun Ikat Patola (Lio), Kain Songke (Manggarai)sumber
- Classification (topi khas Rote)
- Ti'i Langga, topi khas suku Rote dari daun lontar kering, bentuknya mirip sombrerosumber
Traditional dress for NTT women
Several NTT costumes have distinct women's versions. Helong women wear a kebaya or kemben with a gold pending belt and the crescent bula molik headpiece, while Manggarai women wear the black Kain Songke. Across nearly every tribe, ikat-woven cloth is the base of a woman's outfit, finished with jewellery such as necklaces, bracelets, and headpieces according to local custom.
What ties NTT dress together
For all the variety, almost every traditional costume in NTT rests on the same thing: ikat-woven cloth. The weaving is more than clothing; it marks tribe, status, and occasion. Its motifs and colours carry meaning, and some cloths are worn only at specific ceremonies.
FAQ
What are the traditional costumes of NTT called?
The best known include Tenun Ikat with the Ti'i Langga hat (Rote), Hinggi (Sumba), Amarasi (Dawan), Tenun Ikat Patola (Lio), and Kain Songke (Manggarai), along with the dress of the Sabu and Helong tribes.
What is the traditional NTT hat called?
It's the Ti'i Langga, a hat from the Rote tribe made of dried lontar palm leaf and shaped like a sombrero.
What do NTT women wear traditionally?
Helong women wear a kebaya or kemben with a gold pending belt and the bula molik headpiece, and Manggarai women wear the black Kain Songke. The base, as elsewhere, is ikat-woven cloth with traditional jewellery.
What is NTT traditional dress made from?
Ikat-woven cloth is the base of nearly all NTT dress. It is hand-woven, and its motifs mark the tribe, status, and ceremonial role of the wearer.
When is traditional NTT dress worn?
Mostly at customary ceremonies, weddings, welcomes for guests, and important cultural events. Some high-value cloths are worn only on particular occasions.