An Analysis on Characteristics of Ancient Indonesian Textiles (II) : Focus on the Techniques and the Patterns of the ‘Sacred Cloths’

Wrap Ikat is the earliest pattern technique in Indonesian sacred cloths. It has been known since the Dong Son Era, preserved by the people in remote regions. This technique’s origin is unknown, but local ethnic groups believe the gods brought it. The technique consists of tying the wrap yarns according to a specific pattern and dyeing them in a certain color before weaving. Warp Ikat technique is mostly used for mystical rituals related to animism.

Weft Ikat involves tying the weft yarns according to a pattern and placing them in dyeing extract before weaving. The Buddhist-Hindu religion, brought to Indonesia by Chinese and Indian merchants influenced the technique. This binding technique was made as clothing for royalty or high-status citizens. Supplementary weft is called Songket. It is mostly used during festive ceremonies like engagement offers to ‘buy’ the bride from her family, marriage costume, and status giving as the cloths are accessible for the rich.

Double Ikat is a unique technique that uses both Warp and Weft Ikat to create the pattern. This is considered the most difficult Ikat technique. The yarns must be perfectly tied and matched between the Warp and Weft to produce a visible pattern. Since the pattern cannot be seen properly until the yarns come together, weavers believe they must pray and give offerings before tying the yarns. Only India, Japan, and Indonesia use this technique. In Indonesia, this particular Ikat, called Geringsing, is made at the village of Tenganan, Bali.

Sumatran patterns are philosophical, lavish, and prestigious. Sumatra is known for its Ulos (North Sumatra), Tapis(Lampung), and Songket (rest of Sumatra) cloth. Ulos and Tapis cloth were made during the Dong Son era. Both appear to have geometric forms with symmetrical and repetitive designs creating symbolic and meaningful patterns. The Batak ethnic group made Ulos cloth. For the Batak, there are three sources of warmth: sun, fire, and Ulos. Ulos is the symbol of warmth, prayer, and hope. The patterns are small, simple and have abstract forms. The Lampung people made Tapis to align their life to god and the environment. Tapis appear lavish, with bigger borders containing stylized objects and depictions of stories of their everyday life.

Songket was made during the Buddhist-Hindu period and shows color blocking and repeating small patterns of stylized animals(fowl) and floral patterns. The patterns are woven with extravagant gold threads with medium-size patterns filling the space with repetitive motifs.

Borneo is known for its barbaric and prestigious patterns. Located on the east side of Sumatra Island, Borneo produced Pua Kumbu and Songket textiles. The Iban ethnic group created Pua Kumbu during the Dong Son era. Pua Kumbu was made to protect the people from sickness and evil. Pua Kumbu textiles appear barbaric with big geometric patterns creating a silhouette of human and animal patterns, showing their fangs and claws with geometric forms filling the borders. These patterns show the weaver’s narrative, Iban legends, religious motifs, and oral history.

Songket textiles in Borneo are inspired by Songket made in Palembang. Borneo Songket patterns consist of floral patterns with borders and small repetitive patterns with big spaces compared to Sumatran Songket. Borneo Songket patterns depict the prestige that their flowers are known for.

Balinese practiced local animism that worships their ancestors. Later this animism fused with Hinduism. Their textiles are used as a worship medium. Balinese textile pattern characteristics are complex, decorative, warm, festive, calm, and aristocratic. Balinese cloths include Geringsing, Endek, Cepuk, Songket, Poleng, and Prada.

Geringsing patterns feature complex geometrical patterns creating simplified objects important to the Balinese who lived in Tenganan Village. Endek patterns are decorative and blurry at the ends, yet manage to show complete patterns. These patterns are medium sized and portray geometric patterns inspired by Songket patterns. Earlier Endek patterns reflect the influence of Patola(textile from India) and stylized human and animal forms. Cepuk has a warm pattern inspired by the Demon of Barong. The cloths have consistent borders and dense repeated patterns in the center that are inspired from stars and flowers. The Songket in Bali have borderlines with a dense pattern in the middle and sparse patterns on the outside. These patterns are festive with attractive Hindu figures and flowers. Poleng textiles show a dualism with a calm pattern of checkered black and white with protective meanings. Poleng textiles are used to wrap sacred objects that protect a temple. Prada patterns have lavish big flowers, which show prestige and richness of royalty.

Javanese practice animism that later assimilated into Hindu and Islam. Javanese Batik patterns have religious and cultural symbolism and are repetitive. Patola-influenced patterns are shown by the repetitive patterns and the stylized patterns depicting local folklore. Islamic religion and Chinese culture influence others, and create painting-like patterns made of calligraphy and birds. Javanese patterns are dynamic, with symbolized, stylized, and repetitive patterns with moral meanings.

The Torajan people’s animism, found in Celebes, is called aluk to dolo, or the way of the ancestors. Celebes is known for its artistic and simple patterns. Famous for its Torajan cloths and sarong, the textiles show repeated geometrical forms and hooks and diamond patterns in artistic designs. Torajan patterns reflect the weaver’s interpretation of local folklore and beliefs. The Sarong, which Muslim traders introduced to Celebes, shows simple plaid and check patterns.

Nusa Tenggara pattern characteristics are symbolic and narrative. Western and Eastern Nusa Tenggara sacred cloths reflect different influences.

Ancient Javanese, Hindu, and animism influence East Nusa Tenggara sacred cloths. These textiles show geometric patterns that create human and animal forms. These strong, big patterns tell a story about folklore or local beliefs and include expressions of personal feelings. Each pattern forms its own meaning and influences the wearer by representing their character.

West Nusa Tenggara people practice animism that honors their ancestors. Their textile patterns consist of geometric rosettes, zigzags, and floral patterns. Hindu patterns such as wayang(shadow puppets) figures under an umbrella, which means harmony, or under a tree, which means life, often also show up.

Geometric patterns emerged in the Dong Son era, approximately 500 BC. Dong Son, now known as Vietnam, has a nekara(type of ritual drum) with geometric patterns drawn on it. The patterns consist of hooks, spirals, meanders, straight lines, triangles, circles, and so on. These geometric shapes link to each other to create a new form, such as human and animal patterns. For example, the human sekong from Toraja consists of connected hooks. These patterns are considered sacred and have cultural meanings <Fig. 10, 14, 17, 20, 24, 28>.

Human and animal patterns have been used since the Dong Son era. The ancestors of one’s culture inspired human forms in the Dong Son era. In addition, animism belief held that animal patterns are symbolic, mimicking a human trait of providing a mystical power. For example, reptiles are believed to be the symbol of the underworld, while birds represent the upper world. Each human and animal shown is considered a sacred pattern.

In the later Buddhist-Hindu religion, deities, royal families, and wayang(puppet shadow figures) belong to this group. However, human figures were forbidden in Islamic kingdoms <Fig. 11, 15, 18, 21, 25, 29>.

Since the Neolithic era, people believed nature has its own supernatural powers. The religion of animism taught everything on this earth has a spirit. Ancient Indonesian practiced animism, which shows itself through patterns on sacred cloths in stylized natural forms that worship mountains, rivers, sun, stars, flames, and the natural phenomena of each region. For example, one textile might show a ship in Lampung that is believed to be a mystical spirit ship. This pattern’s form is confusing to the eye as it is stylized far from its original shape. Therefore explanations are needed to understand fully this group’s content. These abstract patterns contain personal meanings and are considered sacred <Fig. 12, 22, 26, 30>.

Animism practitioners believe that everything has a spirit, including natural objects. In Buddhism and Hinduism, nature has its own meaning; not spiritual like animism, but as an appreciation of nature’s aesthetics. Natural objects are a symbol of a way of living. For example, Limasan patterns in Sumatra are a symbol of a harmonious life. Islamic influence also honors nature shown as a pattern. Natural objects on sacred textiles show greatness and power <Fig. 13, 16, 19, 23, 27, 31>.