Blue shipcloth (tampan) Indonesia, Sumatra, 19th century A defining tradition of the arts of South East Asia is textiles. They penetrate all levels of society from the aristocratic ceremonies of the courts to the rituals of village life, and were used in rituals associated with life transitions such as birth, circumcision, naming, initiation, marriage and death, as food wrappers, seat cloths, in gift exchange or as ceremonial hangings. This tampan also known as a ‘shipcloth’, is an example of a textile unique to the Lampung region of Sumatra in Indonesia. They often featured a ship motif, a symbol of transportation or transition, which was a fitting design for such occasions. The tampan often depicts wildlife or marine life underneath the ship and the tree of life symbol.