A closer look at old textiles of Indonesia
A closer look at old textiles of Indonesia
By Claudine Frederik
JAKARTA (JP): When Irwan Holmes, consultant to the Kesenian
Group, set foot on Indonesian soil from the U.S. more than 20
years ago, he did not know that the move was the beginning of a
life-long affair with Indonesian antique ornaments. The Kesenian
Group is home to rare Indonesian artifacts. It stores everything
for the collector of rare Indonesian pieces, be it a hundred-year
old dress made of orchid stems from Irian Jaya, masks from every
corner of Indonesia, or old textiles.
The group has gained a reputation for their strategically
placed exhibits throughout the capital, which add unusual but
refreshing touches to function rooms or large halls, even snooty
restaurants.
At their second exhibit in the lobby of President Hotel,
Central Jakarta, the first this year, Irwan Holmes responded to
questions about old textiles the group is displaying until the
middle of this year.
Most pieces on display are at least 75 years old. The exhibit
features large shoulder pieces from the Sumba Isles, a wall panel
from Bengkulu and gold-threaded fabric embroidered with sequins
from Lampung. Also on view is an embroidered skirt worn at Dayak
festivals in West Kalimantan, a wide range of wedding bed
ornaments from Lampung and pieces from other parts of Sumatra.
Bali is also strongly represented at the exhibition. Although
the main theme consists of old pieces, the display is completed
with other antique pieces like old silver jewelry, ancient coins,
and bronze heads and masks, providing a welcome break in the
monotonous tone of textiles.
Age has reduced a few of the rare pieces to extremely fragile
fragments.
"Few people here know how to keep the textiles in the right
way. If they had, then there would have been more interesting
pieces around," he explained
To assess the value of old textiles, the dyes, motifs, as well
as the fabric itself and its condition should be gauged with a
scrutinizing eye.
"Dyes are a reliable source to determine a piece's age. Really
old pieces were colored with natural dyes, which was practiced
until the 19th century. Chemical dyes appeared between 1910 -
1940," he said.
Natural dyes are typified with browns, indigo blue and shades
of yellow derived from turmeric. Browns are made from mangrove
trees. The range of colors became decidedly more exciting with
the introduction of chemical colors as shades of red, blues and
greens appeared in handmade looms and batik.
Motifs
Motifs also play a very important part in determining the age
of the pieces. Today one would rarely find a piece patterned with
figures. It is said that after Islam made its entry in the
country, no figurative motifs, not even of animals, were allowed
in fabric making. Geometric patterns started to appear on weaves
instead. Patterns are, therefore, also a decisive factor in
defining a textile's age. Indonesia converted to Islam in the
12th century.
In some pieces from Timor, figurative motifs can still be
found as a border line, or appear as a random motif on the
pieces.
There was one piece on display from Bali called grinsing.
Woven in the "double ikat" technique, it is supposed to have been
woven after an old Indian technique called patola. The dyes of
grinsing take three months to make and then the textile is dipped
in the prepared dyes several times. Grinsing was not wholly
inspired by the Hindu religion, as religious motifs are combined
with a touch of animism. The piece on display is at least 75
years old.
Other techniques used in Bali and Sumatra are called songket.
Most songket pieces are woven with the "floating weft" technique,
which, deceivingly, gives the pattern an embroidered appearance.
In fact, the pattern was woven in the material.
Fabric weaving has been practiced for thousands of years in
Indonesia. Cotton was the first basic material used in weaving.
Later came hand spun silk, thought to have been first introduced
by Chinese traders and later by Indians, who followed the silk
route of Asia.
Cotton of palm leaf was also used, which can be observed in a
very old piece from Sembiran, Bali. In this piece, explained
Irwan Holmes, motifs of people are clearly shown in the material,
which was clearly Indian inspired.
Two or three batik pieces from Pekalongan, Central Java, draw
a lot of attention from visitors. Colored in traditional old blue
and white, one features an odd motif as a spread of playing
cards. Another one has a couple of human figures flanked by two
vintage cars, clearly belonging to an era beyond the 1930s. Over
the couple's heads are suspended two balloons manned by two other
figures. The piece is in very good condition, despite a slight
fading of the blue. Batik from Pekalongan is usually made in
Chinese owned factories in the area.
Pieces from Timor usually feature primitive patterns, closely
reminiscent of African motifs. Colors are mainly a combination of
brown, black and orange, with a bit of blue and green. The Timor
pieces are mainly worn over the shoulder.
Sumatra has a rich heritage of colorful songket and ikat
textiles. Even in the textile fragments, carefully framed behind
glass, the gold flower motifs leave no doubt that they were once
a striking decorative part of a wedding panel from a long
forgotten past.
Gold and red colors feature strongly in pieces from the West
Sumatra region, strongly indicating the Chinese influence over
the area in times of old.
The exhibition at the President Hotel will last till June.