Tie-dye panel

Tie-dyed Roto cloths were considered sacred by the Rongokg Toraja people of South Sulawesi, and were also traded. The neighboring Sa’dan Toraja displayed them from tall bamboo poles as banners at rituals, especially the funerals of high-ranking people. The vibrant, halo-effect of the three-colored diamonds is achieved by loosely tying the cloth during the dyeing process. The patters of larger and smaller dots are sometimes though of as a constellation of stars. Here, one can make out a snake and human figures within the tricolored bands.