Ikat weaving is a type of weaving practiced by women on Timor, Roti, and other islands of NTT. Ikat is the base word of mengikat which means to bind, to knot, and to wind around. This is exactly how ikat weaving is done. Thread can be spun by hand with locally grown cotton. These days thread is also bought from the market in balls.
In the dry season after the harvest, women have the time to work on their weaving. First the threads are tied into bundles with straw or plastic string, according to the desired pattern.
All the threads are then dyed. The dyes are taken from various plants and minerals, eg from leaves, lime and bark.
Different colours have different meanings. Black for sadness, red for masculinity, white holiness, yellow happiness, blue peace, and green for fertility. These days synthetic shop dyes are increasingly used.
After dying the tied parts are then untied revealing parts of the thread not touched by the dye. This process can be done a number of times, creating the pattern and colours required. The weaving is then completed on hand looms.
Each area in NTT, and sometimes each village, has its own distinct traditional design. Patterns are passed down through the generations. There are three main types of patterns:
a) Figures of people. Often these represent ancestors.
b) A motif taken from India: like a hexagon around a star .... similar to a flower.
c) And geometric patterns often involving animals or plants. Horses and birds are common. Geckos, and crocodiles are also portrayed, and are religious totems symbolising supernatural power. In the past Timorese people would consult ‘nature’ to ask if they should go to war. If they heard the ‘cicak’ or gecko make a noise they would know they shouldn’t go. Crocodiles are no longer found in Timor.
Ikat weaving can take from between a month to years to complete. In Kupang there are small home businesses where women are employed (often girls from other islands) to weave day in, day out. These ladies produce 12 to 13 ikat pieces a year, and receive very little pay for their efforts.
Ikat weaving plays an important role in both the economic and cultural life of NTT. In days past a woman who could weave was considered better than one who couldn’t. These days ikat is still given as part of the bride price, and when a son goes away to work he is given ikat. It is believed this will give him greater spiritual strength. People are very proud of their own ikat, and value it highly.
Questions and Activities
1. What types of patterns are there? 2. What is ikat weaving used for? 3. What does ‘ikat’ mean? 4. What role does ikat play in NTT society? 5. Draw and colour your own stylised ikat weaving pattern using Australian flora and fauna. 6. Create your own dyes with local natural materials. Discuss this with your art teacher and local indigenous people. 7. Visit your local museum to see the ikat for yourself. What patterns and colours are displayed. What do they mean? Do a comparison with other weavings/cloths from different parts of the world such as the minority tribes of southern China, northern Thailand, Burma and Laos. 8. On the net and in your library look for information on ikat weaving. Trace and colour some unusual motifs. What do they symbolise? 9. After the financial crisis of 1998 A$1 was worth Rp5000 [US$1 was Rp12000]. My ikat selimut (blanket) cost Rp120000 retail, which has a 30% mark up from wholesale. What did the weaver get for the month it took her to complete my selimut? Answer in Rupiah and Australian dollars. 10. What dyes have Australian aboriginal people used in your area? Find out what trees, roots and grasses they used. Could they be used for your own ikat weaving?
