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