JP\/18\/TAPIS2<\/p>\n
Lampung 'tapis': No longer sacred status symbol<\/p>\n
Oyos Saroso H.N.
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Bandarlampung<\/p>\n
For the Lampung community, tapis cloth reflects the status of the
\nowner.<\/p>\n
Take Tapis Raja Medal, for example. This particular type of
\ncloth may be worn only during traditional ceremonies by the upper
\nclass of the indigenous Lampung ethnic group, such as family
\nmembers of traditional community elders or tribal chiefs.<\/p>\n
Such ceremonies include wedding receptions or the conferring
\nof a traditional title (cakak pepadun). Even among the upper
\nclass, there are special rules that must be observed when wearing
\nthe cloth.<\/p>\n
The type of the ceremony will determine which tapis cloth
\nshould be worn. For weddings and cakak pepadun, only Tapis Jung
\nSarat, Raja Medal, Raja Tunggal, Dewasano, Limar Sekebar, Ratu
\nTulang Bawang and Cucuk Semako can be worn.<\/p>\n
If a piece of tapis cloth is worn for a cangget, an event in
\nwhich a dance is performed to honor an important guest, then it
\nmust be one with any of these motifs: Bintang Perak, Tapis Balak,
\nPucuk Rebung, Lawek Linau or Kibang. For elderly women, the tapis
\nworn is usually Tapis Agheng, Cucuk Pinggir or Tapis Kaca.<\/p>\n
If a piece of tapis cloth is worn when it should not be, a
\ntraditional sanction will be imposed on the wearer. He or she
\nwill be admonished by the other members of the community. If, for
\nexample, someone who has yet to meet the traditional requirements
\nfor wearing Tapis Medal insists on wearing it during a
\ntraditional ceremony, the cloth may be taken off in public.<\/p>\n
However, modernization has caused tapis cloth to lose its
\nsacred quality. Today, it is worn not only by noble families and
\ntraditional community elders, but also by lower class Lampung
\npeople. There is a difference, though.<\/p>\n
The thread used to embroider the cloth worn by traditional
\ncommunity elders is usually mixed with gold but for ordinary
\npeople, the thread is gold in color only.<\/p>\n
Despite this difference, the motifs embroidered on tapis cloth
\nworn by ordinary people are still beautiful. However, the cloth
\nmay only be worn for certain traditional rites, such as bumammat,
\nan event in which youngsters recite the Koran in a traditional
\nhall in the presence of community elders and others as evidence
\nthat they can read the Koran.<\/p>\n
\"As times changed, the motifs used in tapis also changed, but
\nthe old-style motifs are still extant,\" said Aisyah Yaqub, 66, a
\ntapis maker from Natar village, South Lampung.<\/p>\n
Aisyah cited as an example the Pucuk Rebung (bamboo shoot)
\nmotif, which has been known since time immemorial, or decorative
\nmotifs that have survived since the Hindu era.<\/p>\n
The Pucuk Rebung motif, a symbol of prosperity, remains the
\nmain motif used in tapis cloth today. Also still popular nowadays
\nis the spiral motif, the symbol of worship of the sun and nature.<\/p>\n
The decorative motif of the Tree of Life is also believed to
\nsignify the unity and oneness of God, the creator of the
\nuniverse.<\/p>\n
Aisyah said that in the old days, tapis makers prepared their
\nmaterials by themselves. They wove the fabric using the ikat
\nweaving method and made the thread out of cotton. They used silk
\nworms to produce silk yarns and collected pantis, bees wax used
\nto stiffen thread.<\/p>\n
To preserve the yarn, they used the roots of the fragrant
\ncitronella grass. Then, to avoid discoloring, they used betel
\nleaves. For red colorant, they used raw areca nuts, pacar
\n(Lawsonia inermis) leaves and jejal tree bark They used Eugenia
\ncumini\/polyantha bark and Nephelium lappaceum to obtain black
\ndye. For blue, they used mahogany bark, while durian (Durio
\nzibethinus) was used for brown.<\/p>\n
If they wanted a stronger bluer, they would use lanson fruit
\nor talom leaves. As for yellow, this obtained this using turmeric
\nand lime.<\/p>\n
\"All these materials, taken from nature, are much better in
\nquality than those that you can obtain now in the shops,\" Aisyah
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Nowadays, she said, if you wanted to make tapis cloth, you
\nsimply bought a spool of cotton thread of the Tiger or Astra
\nbrand. This thread comes in various colors. To embroider, you
\nsimply buy a spool of gold thread.<\/p>\n
You must be highly skilled to be able to make tapis cloth and
\nthe process of making it is long and complicated. It usually
\ntakes between two weeks and two months to make one piece of tapis
\ncloth.<\/p>\n
The process is unique and has magical connotations. In the
\npast, a piece of tapis cloth was made of pineapple leaves.
\nThroughout the process of weaving and embroidering, the tapis
\nmaker would recite mantras to ensure that the cloth would not
\nbring harm to anyone wearing it later.<\/p>\n
As has been mentioned earlier, you will need cotton, cotton
\nthread and gold thread to make tapis cloth. Cotton is the basic
\nmaterial, while the cotton thread and gold thread are used to
\nembroider decorative motifs on the cloth.<\/p>\n
When you have collected all the materials, the first thing to
\ndo is to weave the cloth. This process is called mattakh. Then
\ncomes the embroidering of the decorative motifs on the cloth. To do this
\nyou will need an instrument called a tekang, which is a
\nrectangular-shaped board on which the cloth for embroidering is
\nstretched. The embroidering is done manually using a needle. Of
\ncourse, before you do this, you will have traced out your motif
\non the cloth.<\/p>\n
There are many kinds of decorative motifs. You may prefer the
\ngeometrical motifs like diamond shapes or motifs taken from
\nplants or animals. If you decide to draw a motif of a plant,
\nusually you will opt for symmetrically embroidered flowers or
\ntendrils. The decorative motif of a tendril is usually
\nembroidered in the shape of a string and used for Tapis Cucuk
\nAndak and Inuh. The tendril is spiral shaped. If you like
\nanimals, then you will usually opt for a dragon, a bird (a
\ngaruda, a mythical bird in Hinduism that transported the god
\nVishnu through space, or a peacock), a cock or other animal.<\/p>\n
A bird signifies someone's high social status while a cock
\nsymbolizes bravery. The motif of a peacock, which is noted for
\nthe beauty of its tail, symbolizes grandeur.<\/p>\n
This motif is found in Perahu Garuda (Garuda's Boat) tapis,
\nwhich is usually worn to a traditional feast. It is the symbol of
\nthe attainment of high social status. The motif of a bird is
\nusually found in tapis cloth worn by elderly ladies and generally
\nthe cloth has a dark foundation color.<\/p>\n
You can also find the motif of other animals, such as
\nelephants, water buffalo or winged horses. An elephant and a
\nwater buffalo symbolize prosperity while a winged horse is the
\nsymbol of bravery.<\/p>\n
These motif are usually found on the tapis cloth worn by young
\nladies and the wives of traditional community elders, and are
\ncalled Tapis Raja Medal, Tapis Raja Tunggal and Tapis Gajah
\nMeghem. You can also find dragon, fish or butterfly motifs, a
\nclear sign of Chinese influence.<\/p>\n
Aside from plants and animals, human beings also feature in
\ntapis cloth motifs. Usually the motif depicts someone riding a
\nhorse, an elephant or his rato (royal carriage). These motifs,
\nwhich show that a person is higher than an animal, can be found
\nin Tapis Raja Tunggal and Tapis Raja Medal.<\/p>\n
The motif of a human being can also be found in Tapis Ratu
\nTulang Bawang. It depicts someone wearing a crown or having
\nhorns, symbols of respectability at a very high level.<\/p>\n
There are also a motif in the form of a silver-colored star or
\na crescent. This is found in Tapis Limar and symbolizes a bright
\nfuture. The motif of a boat is found in Tapis Raja Tunggal, Tapis
\nSalem Di Lawek Di Gunung and symbolizes a transitional period,
\nwhich, according to the worldview of Lampung people, means a
\ndesire to reach higher social status.<\/p>\n
The boat clearly symbolizes the means with which someone can
\nclimb the social ladder. Last but not least, there is the Pucuk
\nRebung motif, which symbolizes prosperity and natural wealth.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp18tapis2-1447899208",
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