Lampung textiles arrive for Jakarta anniversary<\/p>\n
By Maria Kegel<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): An exhibit of antique textile art that relies
\nmostly on embroidery for its major design features has arrived
\nfor the first time in the capital.<\/p>\n
Lampung cloth, overshadowed by the more well-known gold and
\nred silk tradition of songket from Palembang and West Sumatra
\nand, of course, batik in all its versions, nevertheless shares a
\nrich historical tradition with its counterparts.<\/p>\n
Galeri Hadiprana in Kemang, South Jakarta, is moving it into
\nthe spotlight with its exhibition of authentic antique selections
\ntitled \"The Ceremonial Lampung Clothes\".<\/p>\n
Running through Sunday, 40 pieces of the finest embroidered
\nsilk and cotton ceremonial fashions and wall decor from this
\narea, with some dating as far back as 200 years ago, will be on
\ndisplay in commemoration of Jakarta's 474th birthday.<\/p>\n
Exhibition coordinator Johanda Karahadi is enthused about the
\nprospect of these intricate works gaining more attention in the
\ncapital.<\/p>\n
\"We think Lampung cloth is an amazing variety of textile art,
\nand this is the first time we have had so many at once in our
\ngallery,\" Johanda said.<\/p>\n
Johanda said the gallery decided against organizing a batik
\nexhibition as there had been so many already in Jakarta, and
\nLampung cloth warranted more attention.<\/p>\n
Songket, named after the technique of supplementary weft
\npatterning, resembles the variety from Lampung with its
\ninterwoven gold thread, but differs in several ways, he said.<\/p>\n
With songket, gold thread is woven in a set pattern fully
\nthroughout a silk or cotton foundation, while Lampung cloth is
\ntypically based on embroidered work, and so it has handwoven
\nmotifs as well as embroidery, Johanda said.<\/p>\n
He added that songket also featured embroidery, but in
\ndifferent styles.<\/p>\n
The similarities between songket and Lampung cloth are due to
\nthe influence of the kingdom of Sriwijaya, which stretched from
\nPalembang to West Java in the eighth century, as textiles in
\nSumatra had developed the tradition in parallel, but there were
\ndifferences in certain regions, such as in West Sumatra, Jambi,
\nBengkulu, Palembang and Lampung, he said.<\/p>\n
In Palembang, the source of songket, trading was intensive and
\nthere usually was direct contact with traders because of its
\nport, while Lampung had indirect contact and relied on the ports
\nof Banten and Batavia instead.<\/p>\n
The international pepper trade had brought substantial wealth
\nto the Lampung region through Batavia's port. But it was the
\nforeign traders who also brought along exotic textiles, such as
\nsilk, metallic yarns and mirrored metals, which in turn
\ninfluenced the amazing range of Lampung textiles and how they
\nhave evolved today.<\/p>\n
Java was regarded as the center of civilization, and Johanda
\npointed out that other areas with noted textiles, such as
\nYogyakarta, Surakarta and Cirebon, were under sultanates that
\nensured a standard of quality and helped its development.<\/p>\n
\"But surprisingly, in Lampung, they did not have a sultanate,
\nyet they could develop a very interesting textile.\"<\/p>\n
There was an aristocracy present in Lampung though, and they
\nwere entitled to wear the tapis cucuk andak, a sarong only worn
\nby the females of that class.<\/p>\n
\"Just as in Java where there was certain batik that was
\nallowed to be worn only by the sultan's family, such as the
\nparang garuda, if ordinary people in Lampung had worn the tapis
\ncucuk andak, they would have been fined,\" Johanda added.<\/p>\n
So although it was reserved for the higher class, tapis cucuk
\nandak, circa 1800, has a surprisingly simple design compared to
\nother tapis on display at the gallery.<\/p>\n
Four bands of embroidered patterns on an indigo background are
\nset against a handwoven pure silk fabric, dyed in natural browns
\nand earth tones.<\/p>\n
\"Historically, Palembang was more developed than Lampung, and
\nsince the two cities developed separately, the tapis cannot be
\nfound in other places,\" he said referring to the ceremonial
\ngarment worn as a sarong by females of all classes.<\/p>\n
He said the tapis, indicative of the region's distinctive
\ntextiles and only found in Lampung, was made from basic handwoven
\nfabric, using handspun yarn and rich natural dyes of deep blue,
\nwarm yellow and rusty brown from the mahogany bark. It was later
\nembroidered, and that could take up to a year to complete.<\/p>\n
\"The tapis was only used as a sarong, otherwise it was kept in
\nstorage,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The ornate tirai features embroidered motifs that originated
\nfrom a mix of ethnic Indonesian, European, Chinese and Muslim
\ncultures on a silk or velvet foundation, and were strictly used
\nas wall decorations in ceremonies.<\/p>\n
Kain kapal (boat cloth), named by westerners because of its
\nembroidered ship images, was also a textile for display only and
\nis divided into three kinds: palepai, tatibin and tampan.<\/p>\n
Tampan, which was not used by the aristocracy, was the cloth
\nwith the shortest length, at under one meter long, and served as
\na cover for gifts put on a tray at engagement or wedding
\nceremonies.<\/p>\n
Palepai, measuring over three meters long, was hung on a wall
\nin a home belonging to a person who was a prominent figure in a
\ntraditional ceremony, and tatibin, about a meter in length, was
\nalso displayed, but sometimes used to cover wedding gifts.<\/p>\n
\"It is possible that these types of textiles were used more
\nthan 200 years ago, but no records are available to confirm
\nthis,\" Johanda said.<\/p>\n
\"We can still see the cloths used in the culture today, but
\nsadly, it is difficult to find the weavers and craftsmen in
\nLampung. There are still some, but not as many as 100 years ago,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Johanda said songket was still alive in Palembang as many 20-
\nsomething women enjoyed making them in workshops, but this was
\nnot the case in Lampung.<\/p>\n
A reminder of colonialism exists in the tapis perahu kolonial,
\nor raja tunggal, circa 1840, where large bands of brilliant gold
\nmotifs sewn on black silk are spaced evenly on a field of
\ntriangles and diamonds on natural brown.<\/p>\n
Across the large bands are a stream of repeated motifs, of
\nwhich a crest of lions, which usually appears in European art,
\nfigures predominantly.<\/p>\n
\"But here the lions are replaced with dogs, as they were more
\nfamiliar with dogs than lions, although we don't know what the
\nreason was to replace them with dogs.\" Motifs of Dutch soldiers
\nare also included alongside them.<\/p>\n
Also on display are extremely short antique jackets, designed
\nto complement the tapis and worn by the Kauer people of West
\nSumatra, and wedding pillows, embroidered with payet (small
\npieces of brass) and gold thread in a flower and leaf design on
\nred silk.<\/p>\n
\"The pillows were a sign of social status. The more pillows
\nyou displayed at weddings, the more wealth was assumed you had,\"
\nJohanda said.<\/p>\n
The exhibition is open to the public at Galeri Hadiprana,
\nMitra Hadiprana building, Jl. Kemang Raya 30, daily through June
\n17 from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., except for Sunday from 10 a.m. to
\n3:30 p.m. Call 719-4715 for more information.<\/p>",
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