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Today, songket has become a source of inspiration for contemporary fashion designers who draw ideas from this traditional art.
Pelangi refers to the patterns made by resist-dyed dots. Before the dyeing process can take place, the cloth must be bleached first. Then according to the complexity of the pattern to be dyed, a variety of methods are used to mark the design on the cloth. To achieve symmetry and save time, fine cloth is folded into two, four and as many as eight times. The pattern is marked out by nails. The cloth is dampened and then pressed on the nails.
The method used now a days is for the designer to draw or block print the design on the cloth. The tier then has to pinch a series of dots along the line, often using a specially long implement that slips over the finger of the left hand. The pinched dots are individually bound tightly with a continuous thread to ensure no seepage of dye. The cotton binding keeps the dye from reaching that part of the cloth, so that when it is removed a small white circle is revealed. Within this simple method, many variations are possible.
The tip of the cloth maybe left unbound to give a colored center to the circle. The cloth may be dyed before tying, thus giving a wider variety of colored dots. Bits of padding may be inserted into the circle before tying to create a variety of shapes resembling lozenges, cowry shells and squares.
After the tying is complete, the dying process has to be carefully planned. It must start with the lightest color first, usually yellow. The cloth is immersed in a dye bath and then dried. It is then returned to the tier for ties to be made on the dots which are to remain yellow. At this stage, individual dots can be applied in other colors which are then concealed by tying. The cloth is then dyed in deeper shades, notably, green, red or purple. Sometimes, larger tied patterns and highlights may be dabbed with a color-soaked pad by hand. Dyes can also be discharged or eliminated by immersing in a solution of caustic soda ash.
It takes several days to complete a complex silk pelangi.
In Indonesia the pelangi technique is often combined with tritik. With tritik, the resist is stitched into the cloth, usually using strong pineapple thread that will not break when pulled tight, or these days, plastic, to gather the cloth. Tritik patterns are typically linear, the cloth is compressed along the line of stitching thus forming a resist and preventing the dye from seeping in.
As the name suggest, tritik resembles small droplets of water running around a single line. Borders of many pelangi slendangs or shoulder wraps are decorated in this way.
A less common method of dying borders was brought to Indonesia from South India. This involves folding the area not to be dyed and clamping it firmly between two boards, then dipping the border into the dye bath. Some earlier Lawon textiles of Sumatra may have employed a combination of tritik and this method of decoration.
Indonesia is a country that is steeped in culture and tradition, and known for its outstanding array of traditional crafts. Ranging from Teak wood furniture, to artisanal wood-carving and decorative ceremonial weapons, Indonesian craft is something to be admired. Textiles, in particular, are likely the most notable and far-reaching of the Indonesian craft practices. The variety of textile techniques from Indonesia have been inspiring artists and designers alike for many years.
– Rutuja Shinde