Kemban
/ˈkɛm.bən/noun
A traditional Indonesian or Malay cloth wrapped around a woman’s upper body, especially the breasts.
Did you know?The kemban is strongly associated with Javanese court and ceremonial dress, where how the cloth was wrapped could signal social status and cultural identity.
Etymological Timeline
Regional Austronesian usage
Malayic
kemban
“A cloth or garment wrapped around the upper body; the precise deeper root is uncertain.”
Pre-modern period
Javanese
kemben
“A traditional breast cloth or torso-wrapping garment, especially in Central Javanese dress.”
19th Century
Malay/Indonesian
kemban
“A woman’s cloth breast covering or wrapped upper-body garment.”
20th Century
English
kemban
“A Southeast Asian traditional breast cloth, borrowed into English descriptive and ethnographic writing.”