Woven cloth traces Lombok's history<\/p>\n
By Susi Andrini<\/p>\n
SUKARERA, Lombok (JP): It is said that a person's clothes
\nreflect their personality. A piece of cloth can do the same. The
\ndifference is that a cloth does not only represent someone's
\npersonality but it is also typical of the people who make it and
\ntheir history.<\/p>\n
There is a great variety of cloth in Indonesia. Each region is
\nnoted for the different characteristics and decorations of their
\ncloth. One example is the tenun (woven cloth) originating in
\nSukarare village, Central Lombok, West Nusatenggara.<\/p>\n
For Sukarare people, weaving cloth is a tradition that has
\nbeen passed down from their ancestors. Girls aged seven are
\nobliged to learn weaving by using the peranggon (loom). When they
\nare 10 they learn to make motives. Tenun motives are not merely
\nsymbols without meaning. With skillful hands, instinct and
\ntraditional esthetics, the decorations are processed into an
\nindividual force and source of attraction.<\/p>\n
People who wear the cloth exude an extraordinary beauty. A
\nmagical force of its own emanates from the cloth. From a
\nphilosophical point of view, it is connected with a person's life
\ncycle which begins with birth and continues with adolescence,
\nmarriage and ends in death. Weaving is a compulsory skill that
\nadult women must master for themselves and for other needs.<\/p>\n
\"When I get married, I must be able to weave my own cloth
\nwhich is to be exchanged with songket cloth by my future
\nhusband,\" said a girl while weaving a cloth.<\/p>\n
There are two kinds of tenun: songket and ikat. Songket is
\nembroidered with gold or silver filigree. Unlike ikat, which is
\nsmooth on both sides, the front side of songket is smoother than
\nthe back side.<\/p>\n
Ikat can be made either by a man or a woman. But men generally
\ndo not weave cloth because it is associated with being feminine.
\nAs for songket, men are entirely forbidden to weave it lest they
\nbecome sterile.<\/p>\n
Villager Sahyan said: \"When a worker is spinning yarn, he is
\nnot allowed to come close, because the yarn may become loose and
\na man's privates may get in the way.\"<\/p>\n
The Lombok woven cloths are renowned for their decorations,
\nwhich cover virtually all the cloth. They range from wayang
\nfigures, flowers, plants or symmetric and geometric lines which
\ncolor the cloth's texture.<\/p>\n
The lines form quadrangles or hexagons. On the edges of the
\ncloth there are usually zigzags and straight lines which surround
\nthe decorations in the form of pakis (fern) leaves or flowers in
\nvarious colors.<\/p>\n
\"Making motives should be entrusted to the (kuncen) experts,\"
\nsaid Sahyan.<\/p>\n
Before making the motive, the weaver should pray. Failure to
\npray is considered harmful.<\/p>\n
Sahyan cited one example of a weaver who was trying to make a
\nsongket of wong merak (Arjuna, a wayang character) motive without
\npraying. The consequence? The cloth was not finished and the
\nworker's eyes became blurred.<\/p>\n
A weaver who made an ular naga (dragon) motive had a different
\nexperience. He failed to finish the work and every night he felt
\nthe presence of a snake.<\/p>\n
\"Only dukun (faith healers) can bring about a cure by mixing
\nwater and setanggi (incense) flowers,\" said Sahyan, who believes
\nthat dukun can chase away evil spirits which harass the weavers.
\nHe believes not everyone can make songket.<\/p>\n
The use of songket is adapted to suit the occasion. For
\nexample, the tapokemalo motive, which has black as its basic
\ncolor and is decorated with white symmetric and vertical lines,
\nis used by people going on a trip.<\/p>\n
Red is the basic color of the ragigenep motive which is also
\ndecorated with ornaments resembling the tapokemalo. This cloth is
\nused as a clothing accessory. Straight lines signify honesty like
\nthe word lombok which means \"straight\".<\/p>\n
For newlyweds during their honeymoon there is a cloth which
\nserves as a blanket. The motive is called kembangkomak and is
\ndecorated with flowers and plants.<\/p>\n
The cloth is also used symbolically at a time of death.
\n\"Bodies are dressed in kafan\/leang for burial,\" said Sarpan.
\nKafan cloth is considered holy. Before it is woven, it is cleaned
\nand dried in the sun with kanji (starch) for its durability and
\nstiffness. Raw yarn is used, taking into consideration that it
\nwill decompose along with the body. The cloth is only made in
\ncertain months. It is forbidden to make it in the holy month of
\nRamadhan, and in the months of Maulid and Rajab.<\/p>\n
The production of cloth requires cotton that is spun into
\nyarn. The design is made and wrapped and bound by plastic
\nstrings. The cloth is wrapped to prevent its colors from mixing
\nin the dyeing process. After the dyeing process, the cloth is
\ndried for four days. It is then rolled one by one on the loom.
\nThe yarn is then ready for weaving.<\/p>\n
Chemicals are used for dyeing. \"The dyeing process is divided
\ninto two. There is the cold process (using cold water) and the
\nhot process (using hot water). Compared to the cold process, the
\nhot process uses less chemicals,\" said Saman, a tenun
\nmanufacturer in the village.<\/p>\n
He added the chemicals are needed to enhance the colors and
\nmake them weather-resistant.<\/p>\n
Tenun varies in price. A songket cloth costs between Rp 50,000
\nand Rp 75,000 per meter. A sarong may reach Rp 100,000. Ikat
\ncosts Rp 35,000 a meter.<\/p>",
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