Thursday, May 3, 2007

Songket

Posted by Exoweb

Songket is fabric which belongs to the brocade family of textiles. It is hand woven in silk or cotton, and intricately patterned with gold or silver threads. The metallic threads stand out on the background cloth to create a shimmering effect. In the weaving process the metallic threads are inserted in between the silk or cotton weft (latitudinal) threads of the main background cloth. The term 'songket' comes from the Malay word menyongket, ‘to embroider with gold or silver threads’. Songket is traditionally worn during ceremonial occasions.
In Indonesia, Songket is produced in
Sumatra, Kalimantan, Bali, Sulawesi, Lombok and Sumbawa. Outside of Indonesia production areas include the east coast of the Malay Peninsula and Brunei.[1]
Songket weaving is historically associated with areas of Malay settlement, and the production techniques could have been introduced by Arab and Indian merchants. Historically, production was located in politically significant kingdoms because of the high cost of materials; the gold thread used was originally made of real gold.[1]

Batik

Posted by Exoweb

Batik or batique is an Indonesian word and refers to a generic wax-resist dyeing technique used on textile. The word originates from Javanese word for dot or point, "titik" and the Javanese word "amba", meaning ”to write”.
It is known to be more than a millennium old, probably in ancient Egypt or Sumeria. There are evidences that cloth decorated through some form of resist technique was in use in the early centuries AD.
[citation needed] It is found in several countries later in West Africa such as Nigeria, Cameroon and Mali, or in Asia, such as India, Sri Lanka, Iran, and Thailand, and Malaysia, but the most popular are in Indonesia. The art of Batik reach its highest achievement in technique, intricate design, and refined aesthetic in Java, Indonesia. The island of Java itself is famous and well known for its exquisite batik for centuries, particularly in places such as Yogyakarta, Solo, Cirebon, and Pekalongan.


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