Between the Folds: Stories of Cloth, Lives, and Travels from Sumba

Acknowledgments

am deeply grateful to many people in Sumba for the help they have given me over the years and for the persistent beauty of their fabrics, which initially drew me to their island. Most of the information in this book was gathered during a fifteen-month doctoral research period in 1993 and 1994, supported by the Fulbright Foundation and the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, under the auspices of the Indonesian Academy of Sciences (LIPI) and the Textile Museum of Jakarta. Preliminary research periods (1990, 1991) were funded by Luce Grants through the Center for Southeast Asia Studies at the University of California at Berkeley and by Lowie Grants from the Department of Anthropology at Berkeley. In 1998 I returned for a twomonth stay in Sumba, supported by a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Northern Territory University, Darwin, Australia.I completed a final revision of this book as a fellow at NTU in Darwin, affiliated with the Centre for Southeast Asia Studies. In the last stages of writing, I also benefited from the support of an Australian Research Council Large Grant. I wholeheartedly thank all of these programs and institutions here. Of the people who read this manuscript in various stages, I particularly benefited from the comments of Herbert Phillips, whose intellectual astuteness and limitless generosity will always be remembered. I am greatly indebted to Marie Jeanne Adams, whose work inspired my original interest in Sumba. Her commitment to sharing knowledge and her enthusiastic helpfulness were invaluable throughout my research and writing. I also owe much to Nelson Graburn’s lively inquisitiveness, keenly insightful criticisms, and ongoing encouragement. Sylvia Tiwon added to this book, through her knowledge of Indonesia and her elegance of thought. Sandra Cate made immensely helpful comments on many versions of what follows, as colleague and friend. Throughout my research and writing, Eric Crystal and the Center for Southeast Asia Studies at Berkeley provided assistance, which I deeply appreciate. Albert Wahrhaftig provided inspiration early on in my studies related to art and anthropology. Maria Massolo helped on an early draft of this manuscript, and I thank her for her generosity and incisiveness. I must also thank Chris Healey and Ian Walters for their kindness and support at NTU in Darwin. I am grateful to the two anonymous readers from the University of Hawai‘i Press and to the immediate interest and support of Pamela Kelley as editor, to Masako Ikeda’s helpfulness as managing editor, and to the professionalism of Joanne Sandstrom as copyeditor. My most constant Acknowledgments I encouragement and criticism have come from Pierre Horn. His insights and friendship made this a much richer work, and I dedicate this book to him. In Sumba I owe much to the kindness and assistance of Tamu Umbu Ndjaka, Tamu Rambu Margaretha, Umbu Melki Kapeta, Dovianus Yan Kila, Umbu Pullu Maramba, Rambu Ana Intan, Rambu Anamotur, Rambu Ataleu, Rambu Pakki, Rambu Yohana, Ngabi Mau Amahu, and Martha, to mention just a few. I also want to thank my family, which includes my parents, Harold and Erma Forshee; my husband, Pierre Horn; Christophe and Chieko Horn; and Jacques and Mathilde Horny. Despite the meanderings my work has necessitated over the years, they all in some way have assured me a sense of place in the world. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xiv ...