Tradisi Tenun Ikat Nusantara, Indonesian Ikat Tradition

Indonesia has many woven technics and fascinating appearance woven since centuries ago. Indonesia has became the centre of fabrics in the world. The strategic location of Indonesia which made this area as ancient migration between Asia and Pacific.

“Ikat” etymology is from Malay word means woven fabrics. Part of Ikat is wrap or “Lungsi’ in Bahasa Indonesia. This book tells us about the various Ikat fabrics from Indonesia. Word of “Ikat” introduced in Europe when Professor A.R. Hein in 1880, the word itself adapted to Dutch word, “Ikatten”.

Decorative details of Ikat Indonesia related with the history of Indonesia and prehistoric of Indonesia. The ancient of Indonesia came in 2000 BC at Neolithicum era. On that day the basic culture is waving the basket. The basket had function as a tools to bring the stuffs. The example of beautiful decorative of Ikat found in the old Balinese Ikat from Singaraja. The fabrics has the triangle geometric in the edge of its fabrics. Triangle known as an original decorative from Indonesia. The fabrics from Bali, Singaraja described the epic of Ramayana.

Ikat has becoming the part of Indonesian life. Its function not just only as protector or cover of the body of human but as the daily life. Not to mention the tools in ceremony and stages of life of human beings. From the birth of baby until the day of death of member of society, ikat already became the part of those stages.

Indonesia as the archipelago has so many islands. Each of area of Indonesia has different kind and various technics yet colors and forms. From Aceh, North Sumatra (Batak tribe) with Ulos, Palembang with Songket woven with its golden thread, West Sumatra with golden thread Songket, Lampung with its Tapis, and Tampan, West Java with its Troso, East Java with its Greek and Lamongan, Bali, Kalimantan or Borneo, South Celebes with Bugis and Makassar, West Celebes with its Rongkong and Galumpang, Center Celebes with its Donggala, East Nusa Tenggara, Flores, Sumba, Timor, Savu and Roti, Moluccas,

This book made us realizes that Indonesia has rich fabrics of Ikat. This book has a purpose to explore of Woven Ikat of Indonesia. This is the right book for anybody who wants to learn more about Ikat Culture of Indonesia.