Description

Each hinggi consists of two panels stitched together down the center and often, as in this mantle, finished at either end with a band woven with supplementary warps. The geometric motif repeated across the center of this hinggi is a symbol of royalty; the rampant lions, borrowed originally from European coats-of-arms, designate royal power; the large marine shrimp signify longevity, while the Trees of Life between the shrimp symbolize fertility; and the paired deer in red bands at either end are emblems of royal privilege since the hunting of deer was, traditionally, the prerogative of the king.