A pluralistic Indonesia, consisting of various ethnic groups, is rich in culture. One of them is the typical fabrics of the archipelago which have high artistic value. Here are some examples!
Ulos
This traditional Batak fabric is made by woven using a loom instead of a machine. Ulos is always there in the life of the Batak Tribe. There are various types of ulos cloth. Some are given at birth, marriage, entering a new home, and mourning.
Mengulosi means giving ulos cloth to people who are holding an event. This ulos cloth was given as a gift. The more ulos gave, the more people who pray. Besides being used as gifts, ulos cloth is also used as clothing in official events by draping it over the shoulder.
Songket
Songket cloth is a cloth used in official events in Palembang and Minangkabau. This cloth is used as scarves, head coverings, and skirts. This beautiful fabric is a blend of woven fabric and gold or silver thread. Songket cloth was developed in Malay culture on the island of Sumatra.
It is said that songket began to develop during the golden age of the Sriwijaya Kingdom, which was centered around Palembang. The name songket comes from the Malay word sungkit, which means to hook or gouge. According to tradition, only girls are allowed to weave this songket.
Tapis
The tapis cloth that is characteristic of Lampung is a beautiful cloth that is done by hand embroidering. The cloth, which is generally dark in color, is embroidered with gold-colored threads to form a beautiful motif. The motifs are geometry, flora, fauna, and ships.
The more patterns the fabric has, the longer it will take to make. The tapis cloth, which takes months to process, is only worn on special occasions. There is also a tapis cloth that is used as decoration.
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Ulap Doyo
Ulap doyo is a woven cloth from the Benuaq Dayak tribe in East Kalimantan. This cloth material comes from a type of pandan leaf fiber known as Doyo leaves. It takes a long time to make this cloth. Doyo leaves are dried, then decomposed into fine fibers.
This thread is dyed with natural dyes before being woven using a simple loom. This skill is passed on to the daughters of the Benuaq Dayak tribe only. Doyo ulap cloth is usually used as a scarf and headband.
Sasirangan
Sasirangan is a typical cloth of the Banjar tribe in South Kalimantan. This cloth is usually made of cotton, then processed into sasirangan cloth. The word sasirangan comes from the word “sirang” which means tied or sewn by hand and pulled the thread.
The coloring and making of this cloth motif are indeed done by tying it. Sasirangan cloth can be used as clothing for important events and for everyday events.
Lombok Weaving (Tenun Lombok)
This woven cloth from the island of Lombok takes a long time to make. Starting from spinning cotton into yarn, dyeing it, then weaving it into cloth. The dyes used are derived from natural ingredients, such as leaves, roots, fruit, and other natural dyes.
The dyed yarn is woven using the ikat method, using a loom instead of a machine. There are various motifs in this cloth, which are inspired by everyday life. Various motifs and weaving skills were passed down from generation to generation.
