Exhibition displays rare and unusual Indonesian textiles
Exhibition displays rare and unusual Indonesian textiles
Rita A.Widiadana, The Jakarta Post, Payangan/Gianyar
Most of the thousand-plus islands of Indonesia's vast archipelago each have their own distinguished textile tradition.
For scholars, textile experts or collectors, these rich fabrics reveal the extraordinary ability of weavers, designers and other textile makers here. Moreover, they tell the story of the country's history, incorporating social, religious and cultural influences.
While Bali hosts many art exhibitions, a showcase of rare and unusual textiles is something to celebrate.
Organized jointly by Alila Ubud in Payangan, Gianyar, and Jakarta-based Dharma Mulia Galleries and Bali Antiquities Agency, the two-month exhibition is not a complete representation of the country's textiles -- which would require a huge exhibition space -- but presents some stunning examples.
Irwan Holmes, the curator of the exhibition, acknowledged that a number of areas were not represented, such as Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara; and North Sumatra. Rather, the pieces displayed were selected based on their historical value, technique used and rarity.
He suggested that visitors view the textiles in two ways -- to wear or to use in rituals, or as fine art.
The 70 textile works on display are accompanied by a variety of weaving tools, old photographs and other, related objects.
Some particularly beautiful and rare items are housed in the two exhibition rooms of Alila Gallery.
The first displays textiles from East Timor (now an independent nation), West Timor, East and West Sumba in East Nusa Tenggara provinces, and Sumatra.
Among the collection is a tais mane (wrap worn by men), from Los Palos in East Timor, which was probably made in the late 19th century for ceremonial occasions.
A European influence can be seen in the wrap's flower motif, while the weaving technique was probably learned from the Portuguese, but has origins in the Middle East. No other textile makers here use this technique.
Another beautiful piece is a tais feto, or sarong, which is worn by Tetunese women in Belu regency, on the border of West Timor and East Timor.
The brilliantly colored sarong -- produced between the late 19th century and the early 20th century -- shows European images in its design, with men wearing trousers and women in skirts and high-heeled shoes sitting on chairs, as well as animals, such as birds and deer.
It is possible that these motifs were introduced to the Tetunese via textiles from Savu, Roti, and Flores.
Richly decorated with buna (a weft-wrapping technique), the sarong was worn by aristocrats.
From East Sumba, which is well-known for its fine textiles, the exhibition includes Lau Pahudu Ratu (a queen's sarong).
The silk sarong is decorated with chickens. Chickens are a central motif in Sumbanese art: Their entrails are interpreted to foretell the future and the will of the ancestors.
The silk indicates the sarong was made for a person of nobility. The silk was imported from China. The sarong's bright colors come from natural, vegetable dyes.
The rarest textile from the region on show is Lau Merapu, a ceremonial sarong made for a priest between the 18th and 19th centuries.
It is believed to be the oldest textile found in Sumba. Another example was found in a bronze box engraved with ancient Balinese-Majapahit designs, and referred to as the wangsul cloth.
Balinese textiles
Bali is one of Indonesia's richest textile regions. The exhibition included some of the island's rarest textiles, produced and worn by the indigenous Bali Aga people.
Anteng or cerik (women's blouses) made of cotton, bagu (bast fiber), and songket (textile with a supplementary weft), were worn by female members of Sembiran village, Batur, Bali, in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Batik pieces from Central Java and the north coast of Java are fascinating, with one of the best examples being a pair of kain dodot (handmade batik on cotton with semen ragas and bangun tulak patterns), originally from the palace of Yogyakarta.
These items of clothing were only worn by royal brides and grooms, or court dancers in Yogyakarta.
Draped around the wearer they were an impressive sight to behold. The white, central part is known as bangun tulak, meaning the shape that wards off evil.
Among the rarest and most interesting items on display are selendang (shoulder wraps), also known as kain lawon that were made using a tie-dye technique from Palembang, South Sumatra, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Irwan related the story of the kain lawon textile, nicknamed the Rothko cloth:
Rothko was a Russian painter who lived in New York and was famous for his rectilinear, abstract paintings.
Some years after his death, a New York dealer decided to hold a retrospective of Rothko's work. Coincidentally, he also came across a kain lawon and was struck by its similarity to Rothko's paintings.
He bought one and put a sign on it that read: "If you can't afford a Rothko painting (priced at more than US$100,000), buy this cloth for only US$10,000."
From that point on, a report said, American and European dealers started looking for kain lawon, which had been neglected by Indonesians, and which became a precious item for avid collectors, like the British prince of Wales.
A lecture was given by noted textile expert Toni Tack a few hours before the exhibition opened last Saturday, but regrettably many textile-lovers missed the session.
Visiting this exhibition may provide an insight into the diversity of Indonesian textiles; and local and foreign collectors may find rare and precious items to add to their beloved collections.
in box; Rare and Unusual Textiles of The Indonesian Archipelago Alila Ubud Bali-Desa Melinggih Kelod, Payangan Gianyar tel (0361) 975963, fax (0361) 975968 From Sept.25 through Nov.20