Meanings and motifs of the 'ikat' weavings of NTT

By Emilie Sueur

JAKARTA (JP): NTT, three letters which stand for Nusa Tenggara Timur, the southeastern part of Indonesia, but also, as Jes A. Therik, governor of NTT and specialist in ikat designs subtly notices, three letters for Nusa Tenun Tangan, "The Land of Hand- woven Textiles".

One of the major weaving techniques in the southeastern part of the archipelago is ikat, a name which comes from an Indonesian word which means tying. Appropriately, tying is at the core of ikat-weaving. As a matter of fact, the ikat motifs are created by tying and dying threads before weaving them.

Protective fibers are tied around the parts of the yarn that must not be dyed. Each color requires the ties be put on specific parts of the thread, so that when woven, the design appears.

NTT, the land of ikat, is known for its great diversity of tribes and ethnic groups. Yet, as communication between the multitude of islands was rare in the past, each of them managed to build its own strong identity through the creation of specific ikat designs.

Therefore, understanding the meaning of a design requires a precise knowledge of the cultural background involved in the weaving.

A researcher cannot seriously intend to interpret an ikat after having spent only one month in a village. The significance of the motifs are ethnic group or family secrets. Winning the villagers' confidence is essential to catch a glimpse of understanding.

"Designers might let you guess a secret," Therik adds, "but will never betray it". Understanding ikat is therefore a question of relationship, time and heart.

Besides winning the populations confidence, historical knowledge is indubitably necessary to find the origin of some motifs Mrs. Jo Seda, a long time and passionate collector of ikat, adds.

The commerce between traders from India and Indonesia in the 15th century allowed the introduction of the Indian patola motifs.

In those times in the archipelago, ikat were merely dull colors on rough textile, whereas the colors of the patola textiles were bright and the material rich.

Consequently, the patola motifs became the symbol of power and wealth and were worn only by people of high status.

Mrs. Seda remarks that the same phenomenon happened with Dutch colonization. Thus, the crown motif that can be seen on some ikat comes from the Dutch coats of arms that were introduced in NTT in the last years of the 19th century.

Today, this process of assimilation is still on going as the most recent influences for ikat designs are, as Mrs. Seda explains, the garuda bird from the Pancasila (Five Principles), state philosophy of Indonesia, or the banyan tree, the symbol of national unity.

There are no real taboos concerning the designs themselves, but each person in the village is granted a specific motif according to his gender, age or status.

Thus, in Flores, a noble man until middle age wears a small horse design (jara kedhi). An older noble man wears a large horse design (jara meze). Only the eldest noble men who sponsor ritual ceremonies are allowed to wear the elephant design (sapu gajah).

Designs are identity markers. Until recently, had anyone worn a design that didn't tally with his status, his life could have been cut short.

Human figure designs are pretty interesting to decipher. The ones designed in East Sumba are noticeable for their long arms. Their disproportionate length symbolizes a person's influence. Long reaching hands signify authority and protection over the whole kingdom.

Strong feet, knees and shoulders emphasize the strength and stability of the person.

A head filled with motifs is the symbol of wisdom. It shows that the person who wears the ikat is the most able descendant of their ancestors.

Most human figures are drawn with ears, representative of the capacity to hear everything and therefore not to be betrayed.

Imposing human figures are often surrounded with small characters, dwarfs. They symbolize the weakness of the enemies. The whole representation is aimed at idealizing the leader.

Ikat designs can be understood only if the holistic essence of the Indonesian culture is kept in mind.

The whole world is considered in a cosmological way. The future, the past and today are linked. The new-born will be a man and then an ancestor according to the cyclic representation of life.

Sometimes, different designs that could appear contradictory are woven on the same ikat. Thus, a crocodile, which represents strength and power, can stand close to a turtle, a symbol of femininity and fertility.

These two motifs can be found together as the local culture considers human beings to be a blend of feminine and masculine traits. One trend balances the other in a quest for harmony.

The snake takes a significant place among ikat symbols, especially during funerals. For instance, kings in Sumba were buried in textiles ornate with snakes. Jes A. Therik proposes two interpretations for this design.

As snakes shed their skins, they are the perfect symbol for rebirth after death. Here again is the idea of a continuous circle. The dead man is born again in the village of the ancestors.

The snake might also be a nobility marker. Thus, it can help the ancestors to recognize and to accept the newcomer at his right rank.

Sometimes, snakes appear with legs. Therik explains this representation with the influence of the sandalwood trade between Indonesia and China. During the trade exchanges, Chinese ceramics ornate with dragoon motifs were introduced in NTT.

Ikat weavers have certainly appropriated those motifs and adapted them to their own culture. They reinterpreted them as a symbol of strength.

Apart from the motifs themselves, the colors are interesting to decipher. Since the dyes are only made from natural plants, each ethnic group has developed its own shades of color according to the ecological environment.

Colors have specific meanings too. Red, for instance, symbolizes spirituality, fertility and strength. It is the color of the kings. Warriors used to wear a bright red scarf on their head as red was said to be protective.

Beyond the meaning of the designs, "ikat is a way to tie people together", as Therik poetically says it. Giving an ikat helps ease conflicts, it binds the soul and the body, the dead and the living. Ikat provides harmony in the "extended" family life.

It is comforting to know that many scholars are still interested in studying ikat and their meanings, as in our times of globalization and mass production, it can definitely be a way to preserve an archipelago of cultural identity.