Love letters on hankies at exhibition

Ida Indawati Khouw, Contributor, Jakarta

Nowadays, there are many different ways to convey instant messages of love thanks to technology -- e-mail and SMS to mention but a few.

If you are bored by the modern way, why not try the traditional Portuguese way and convey your love on a handkerchief.

And if you are in need of some inspiration, one way is go to the ongoing Traditional Arts of Portugal textile exhibition at the Textile Museum in West Jakarta.

On show are neatly embroidered decorations such as hearts, doves, flowers, pagodas on fine-lace or cotton handkerchiefs -- all to express love.

One piece dating back to 1898 reads, "For my love Antonio Martins Camelo", "I here put this brilliant and enchanting verse to tell you that I wish you well, firm love from the heart. Perre."

Or a poem written on a 44 centimeter by 33 centimeter white cotton cloth embroidered with red and blue cross-stitches, composed in the early 20th century: "As the threads are united in this handkerchief, so is my soul united to yours and your heart to mine".

The exhibition, which displays 220 coverlets, costumes and related attire, has been billed the largest cultural event to mark the resumption of cultural ties between Indonesia and Portugal.

The associate curator of the exhibition, Maria Madalena Ataide Garcia, said that handkerchiefs were one of the presents exchanged by young people during their engagement. "The custom spread throughout the country and was always considered to constitute a genuine declaration of love," she said.

The material is almost always white and embroidered with symbols of love and words from romantic poems.

"A young woman would embroider a handkerchief for her lover, who would put it in his jacket pocket as a declaration of their engagement," Garcia added.

The bride would also use a handkerchief to wrap the stem of a bouquet of flowers, as can be seen on a woman's black wedding gown that is on display, which Garcia referred to as "the most emblematic outfits of traditional Portuguese female clothing, full of embroidery, including Portugal's coat of arms".

Also on display are various male and female traditional costumes, some of which are still used today. The style of the costumes, which represents different regions in Portugal, is determined by its geographical location and the availability of materials.

Curator Maria Helena Mendes Pinto said, "traditional civilian clothing, whether for work or celebration, are a mirror of the variety of regional cultures".

The displayed costumes show the difference between those worn in the interior of the country, which are somber with less color, and those worn in coastal regions that are livelier and more varied.

In addition to introducing the traditional arts of Portugal, the exhibition also aims to show how Indonesia and other Asian countries have influenced Portuguese arts.

"This event is to show that we have so many things in common. So far, the discussion (regarding Portugal and Indonesia's historical relationship) is more on Portuguese influence in Indonesia, through people can see that the items on display here show that Indonesia has also influenced Portuguese arts," said Portuguese Ambassador Ana Gomes.

Similarities can also be found in the style of jewelry that is also on display.

Garcia said that it was quite difficult to show "genuine" Portuguese arts in the traditional textiles, because most of them have been influenced by the East, as a result of centuries of contact with eastern countries, as seen in the 16 coverlets on display.

"The selection of coverlets are grouped according to their place of manufacture," said Pinto, who is also an expert on Portuguese-Oriental religious arts, adding those produced from the Castelo Branco region, located at the center of the country, were the richest, most attractive and most complex.

The Castelo Branco style is a Portuguese design that uses an Oriental stitch and decorations such as the "tree of life" that include flowers and Chinese flowerpots in their designs, as well as figurines

Also on display are coverlets from other regions like Urros, Coimbra and Nisa, each with distinctive styles woven in linen, wool or even silk.

No less attractive is the display of the tabuleiro, a wicker basket with bread and colorful paper flowers, which are meant to be carried by females clad in their best gowns during the Festival of the Holy Spirit, which has been celebrated in the country since the 13th century.

The total height of the tabuleiro must be the same as that of the girl carrying it, while the loaves of breads are later shared among the needy.

Tabuleiro has a similarity to Balinese canang pajegan, the wicker baskets full of fruit and food carried by Balinese women during religious rituals, but so far there have not been any studies to seek the correlation between the two.

-- The Traditional Arts of Portugal textile exhibition will last until May 9 at the Textile Museum, Jl. Aipda K.S Tubun Nos. 2-4, West Jakarta.