A closer look at old textiles of Indonesia<\/p>\n
By Claudine Frederik<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): When Irwan Holmes, consultant to the Kesenian
\nGroup, set foot on Indonesian soil from the U.S. more than 20
\nyears ago, he did not know that the move was the beginning of a
\nlife-long affair with Indonesian antique ornaments. The Kesenian
\nGroup is home to rare Indonesian artifacts. It stores everything
\nfor the collector of rare Indonesian pieces, be it a hundred-year
\nold dress made of orchid stems from Irian Jaya, masks from every
\ncorner of Indonesia, or old textiles.<\/p>\n
The group has gained a reputation for their strategically
\nplaced exhibits throughout the capital, which add unusual but
\nrefreshing touches to function rooms or large halls, even snooty
\nrestaurants.<\/p>\n
At their second exhibit in the lobby of President Hotel,
\nCentral Jakarta, the first this year, Irwan Holmes responded to
\nquestions about old textiles the group is displaying until the
\nmiddle of this year.<\/p>\n
Most pieces on display are at least 75 years old. The exhibit
\nfeatures large shoulder pieces from the Sumba Isles, a wall panel
\nfrom Bengkulu and gold-threaded fabric embroidered with sequins
\nfrom Lampung. Also on view is an embroidered skirt worn at Dayak
\nfestivals in West Kalimantan, a wide range of wedding bed
\nornaments from Lampung and pieces from other parts of Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Bali is also strongly represented at the exhibition. Although
\nthe main theme consists of old pieces, the display is completed
\nwith other antique pieces like old silver jewelry, ancient coins,
\nand bronze heads and masks, providing a welcome break in the
\nmonotonous tone of textiles.<\/p>\n
Age has reduced a few of the rare pieces to extremely fragile
\nfragments.<\/p>\n
\"Few people here know how to keep the textiles in the right
\nway. If they had, then there would have been more interesting
\npieces around,\" he explained<\/p>\n
To assess the value of old textiles, the dyes, motifs, as well
\nas the fabric itself and its condition should be gauged with a
\nscrutinizing eye.<\/p>\n
\"Dyes are a reliable source to determine a piece's age. Really
\nold pieces were colored with natural dyes, which was practiced
\nuntil the 19th century. Chemical dyes appeared between 1910 -
\n1940,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Natural dyes are typified with browns, indigo blue and shades
\nof yellow derived from turmeric. Browns are made from mangrove
\ntrees. The range of colors became decidedly more exciting with
\nthe introduction of chemical colors as shades of red, blues and
\ngreens appeared in handmade looms and batik.<\/p>\n
Motifs<\/p>\n
Motifs also play a very important part in determining the age
\nof the pieces. Today one would rarely find a piece patterned with
\nfigures. It is said that after Islam made its entry in the
\ncountry, no figurative motifs, not even of animals, were allowed
\nin fabric making. Geometric patterns started to appear on weaves
\ninstead. Patterns are, therefore, also a decisive factor in
\ndefining a textile's age. Indonesia converted to Islam in the
\n12th century.<\/p>\n
In some pieces from Timor, figurative motifs can still be
\nfound as a border line, or appear as a random motif on the
\npieces.<\/p>\n
There was one piece on display from Bali called grinsing.
\nWoven in the \"double ikat\" technique, it is supposed to have been
\nwoven after an old Indian technique called patola. The dyes of
\ngrinsing take three months to make and then the textile is dipped
\nin the prepared dyes several times. Grinsing was not wholly
\ninspired by the Hindu religion, as religious motifs are combined
\nwith a touch of animism. The piece on display is at least 75
\nyears old.<\/p>\n
Other techniques used in Bali and Sumatra are called songket.
\nMost songket pieces are woven with the \"floating weft\" technique,
\nwhich, deceivingly, gives the pattern an embroidered appearance.
\nIn fact, the pattern was woven in the material.<\/p>\n
Fabric weaving has been practiced for thousands of years in
\nIndonesia. Cotton was the first basic material used in weaving.
\nLater came hand spun silk, thought to have been first introduced
\nby Chinese traders and later by Indians, who followed the silk
\nroute of Asia.<\/p>\n
Cotton of palm leaf was also used, which can be observed in a
\nvery old piece from Sembiran, Bali. In this piece, explained
\nIrwan Holmes, motifs of people are clearly shown in the material,
\nwhich was clearly Indian inspired.<\/p>\n
Two or three batik pieces from Pekalongan, Central Java, draw
\na lot of attention from visitors. Colored in traditional old blue
\nand white, one features an odd motif as a spread of playing
\ncards. Another one has a couple of human figures flanked by two
\nvintage cars, clearly belonging to an era beyond the 1930s. Over
\nthe couple's heads are suspended two balloons manned by two other
\nfigures. The piece is in very good condition, despite a slight
\nfading of the blue. Batik from Pekalongan is usually made in
\nChinese owned factories in the area.<\/p>\n
Pieces from Timor usually feature primitive patterns, closely
\nreminiscent of African motifs. Colors are mainly a combination of
\nbrown, black and orange, with a bit of blue and green. The Timor
\npieces are mainly worn over the shoulder.<\/p>\n
Sumatra has a rich heritage of colorful songket and ikat
\ntextiles. Even in the textile fragments, carefully framed behind
\nglass, the gold flower motifs leave no doubt that they were once
\na striking decorative part of a wedding panel from a long
\nforgotten past.<\/p>\n
Gold and red colors feature strongly in pieces from the West
\nSumatra region, strongly indicating the Chinese influence over
\nthe area in times of old.<\/p>\n
The exhibition at the President Hotel will last till June.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/a-closer-look-at-old-textiles-of-indonesia-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }