Veiling as Cultural Sovereignty: A Performative and Mediated Study of Rimpu in Eastern Indonesia

Abstract

In global discussions over Muslim women's attire, prevailing viewpoints frequently simplify modest clothing into universal classifications, neglecting its culturally distinct significances and experiential aspects across various Muslim communities. Current research on Rimpu, the traditional attire of Bimanese women in eastern Indonesia, has predominantly regarded it as a static cultural artefact, neglecting its function as a dynamic locus of social negotiation and embodied piety. This study seeks to analyse Rimpu as a symbolic and performative practice through which women in Bima navigate cultural identity, spiritual values, and social transformation in modern situations. The research utilised a qualitative ethnographic methodology in Bima Regency, employing participant observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation to capture intergenerational perspectives and daily behaviours. The data indicate that Rimpu functions in three interconnected realms: as a manifestation of cultural-religious identity, as a locus of evolving significations influenced by modernity and media, and as a commodified cultural emblem within heritage politics and visual representation. The study conceptually enhances the comprehension of Muslim women’s attire as an expression of lived Islam and performative identity, wherein piety is regionally produced, negotiated, and recontextualized rather than consistently dictated. The findings underscore the necessity to transcend mere symbolic preservation in favour of a more critical and participatory engagement with cultural practices, framing Rimpu as a perspective to reevaluate the intersections of gender, religion, and cultural transformation in the Global SouthThis study investigates Rimpu, the traditional veiled dress of Bimanese Muslim women in Eastern Indonesia, as a performative expression of piety, identity, and resistance within the interplay of Islamic values, local customs, and contemporary socio-cultural transformations. Employing a qualitative ethnographic design, the research was conducted in Bima Regency, West Nusa Tenggara, through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and visual documentation. The study finds that Rimpu functions not only as a cultural-religious identity marker but also as a contested symbol shaped by generational reinterpretation, commodification in tourism and media, and diminishing everyday use among youth. While older women perceive Rimpu as a spiritual embodiment of nuru (modesty) and maja (shame), younger women increasingly view it as ceremonial, aesthetic, or impractical for modern life. Theoretically, this research contributes to Islamic gender studies and symbolic anthropology by extending Judith Butler’s performativity and Talal Asad’s embodied piety into a localized Muslim context, offering a non-Arab, peripheral case that challenges dominant narratives in Muslim fashion discourse. Practically, the findings call for policy interventions and educational models that move beyond folklorization and instead support intergenerational cultural transmission rooted in lived experience. The study’s limitations include its regional scope, with a focus on female voices in coastal and semi-urban areas, and limited analysis of Rimpu’s digital representation. Future research should explore visual ethnography, class-based variations, and comparative dress practices across Eastern Indonesia to deepen understanding of local Islamic expressions under global cultural pressure