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Text by Sian E. Jay with Introduction by Sandra Niessen Photography by Ibham Jasin WOVEN INDONESIAN TEXTILES FOR THE HOME
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Page 1: WOVEN INDONESIAN TEXTILES FOR THE HOMEbabbooks.com/home/assets/books/WOVEN INDONESIAN TEXTILES.… · Kayumanis Nusa Dua Private Villa & Spa Private Residence at Bintang Bali Villa

Text bySian E. Jay

with Introduction bySandra Niessen

Photography byIbham Jasin

WOVEN INDONESIAN TEXTILESFOR THE HOME

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Published by

The publisher would like to thank and express very special gratitude to the following designers (with a particular interest in woven textiles), hotels, villas, resorts and spas, they are:

Agam RiadiAndi LimAnita BoentarmanAry JuwonoEko PriharsenoFifi FimandjajaJoke RoosPrasetio BudhiReza WahjudiRoland AdamSammy HendramiantoShirley GouwSuyin PramonoYuni Jie

The Dharmawangsa, JakartaCOMO Shambala Estate, BaliKayumanis Nusa Dua Private Villa & Spa Private Residence at Bintang Bali Villa

We would like to extend special thanks to the residence of Iwan Nurjadin, and Mr. & Mrs. Hatta Rajasa, the private office at Graha Inti Fauzi and Roger Tol of KITLV Jakarta

who kindly made available historical photographs from the Institute’s archives, Soedarmadji J.H. Damais, Judi Achjadi and Koestriastuti for their valuable information. A great many other skilled and able people were involved in the making of this book, too many to be listed here, but their contributions are highly valued, nonetheless. To all above, as well as to those who are not mentioned, the producers would like to take this opportunity to extend their deepest appreciation.

PROJECT ADVISOROkke Hatta Rajasa

PROJECT DIRECTORBianca Adinegoro Lutfi

PROJECT COORDINATORIntan Fauzi Fitriyadi

EDITOR IN CHIEF AND CONTRIBUTORDr. Sian E. Jay

CONTRIBUTORDr. Sandra Niessen

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTErastiany A. Natanegara

PHOTOGRAPHERIbham Jasin

CREATIVE DIRECTORRafli L. Sato

Published in 2012 CITA TENUN INDONESIAJl. Tirtayasa III No. 15Kebayoran Baru - Jakarta SelatanTel/Fax +62 21 726 4134www.tenunindonesia.com

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission of the copyright owners.

First Edition, 2012

ISBN 978-602-97473-1-7

Designed and Produced by BAB PUBLISHING INDONESIA

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this book at the time of going to press. The Cita Tenun Indonesia cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies and omissions. Readers are advised to call the various institutions, if appropriate, to verify details.

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Preface 8

Meaningful and Magical 10

Weaving a Welcome 24

Design Décor 54

Directory of Sources 158

Glossary 160

Bibliography 161

Index 162

C O N

T E N

T S

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Indonesia’s rich cultures and traditions include a wide array of handwoven textiles

whose roots go back to the early international trade between the Arab world, China,

India and Europe. Today experts, designers and afficionadoes seek to own, study

and to apply this particular fabric to their daily lives.

Every textile, such as ikat (from Bataklands in North Sumatra; Bangka, Belitung,

most of southern Sumatra; the islands of Flores, Sumba, Rote, Sabu, Ndao, and Timor

in East Nusa Tenggara; Bali; Kalimantan; Rongkong and Galumpang in Sulawesi;

Tanimbar and Kisar in Maluku islands; and also from Gresik and Lamongan in East

Java), songket (from Sumatra, Bali and the islands of Flores and Sumbawa, West

Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, and from Ternate in Maluku), lurik and plain weaving from

Java and many more are widely sought after. They are all unique, carefully produced

by local weavers from many places in Indonesia. These weavers may not have a

modern education but they carry old values and inherited skills, to ensure the quality.

To maintain and preserve this tradition, special attention is needed. Support and

training help increase local weavers’ incomes and at the same time set new standards

of quality and quantity applicable for the demands of the creative industries, such as

the multi billion industry of interior, architecture and decoration.

In recent decades, interior design has become an important player in the creative

industries, directly affecting the income, quality and quantity of related producers,

textile included, with millions of dollars turnover. It is considered an important

milestone for Indonesia’s textile industry as it is single handedly responsible for

giving a unique touch in terms of decorative pattern in interior design.

Many distinguished interior designers local and international, have been inspired

by handwoven textiles of Indonesia applying them in their creations of hotels,

restaurants, spas, villas, resorts and home decor worldwide. This presents a unique

opportunity for Indonesian weavers to produce handwoven fabric that meets the

international standard.

This book demonstrates how handwoven Indonesian fabrics have inspired the

interior design world, both locally and internationally, and have remained modern. It

covers its traditional meaning, its journey from the traditional context into the world

of modernity and also the exploration of new ideas. Hopefully, it will motivate more

people to pay greater attention to this cottage industry and consequently give positive

encouragement in terms of increasing local weavers’ incomes and to preserve the

quality of our heritage. Prefa

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Meaningful and Magicalby Sandra Niessen

I N T R O D U C T I O N

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Indigenous woven cloth is a gloriously rich component of Indonesia’s cultural

heritage. The island archipelago is vast, encompassing more than three hundred

ethnic groups, each of which has a distinct textile heritage. Few areas on the earth’s

surface can boast such a splendid diversity of textile design, technique and colour.

In previous centuries, before Western clothing became the norm in Indonesia,

magnificent diversity in cloth impressed Western visitors to the archipelago’s biggest

ports. Situated at the crossroads between South and East Asia, harbours were busy

places where nationalities, languages and textile types mingled. The colonial era

had its roots in the Western discovery that to obtain East Indian spices, they would

have to have cloth available for sale. Local people hankered after cloth – but not just

any cloth! Western merchants learned quickly by trial and error that local tastes were

precise and uncompromising. Thus the West joined in, latecomers, to an international

trade in textiles that had been going on for hundreds of years.

That such local tastes were discerning and specific cannot come as a surprise

when one takes into account that the inhabitants of these Southeast Asian islands

had been exposed to diversity in fibre, colour, design, technique and dress styles

for centuries. Waves of culture influence from India, the Arab world, East Asia and

from within the archipelago itself, can still be seen in textiles that are made today.

The textile heritage of Indonesia is the fabulous total sum of an ancient foundation of

techniques, design and know-how interwoven with gradual additions, many inspired

by outside sources. Reviewing the archipelago’s cloth is an unrivalled experience.

The panoply is a feast for the eyes – but also for the intellect because it constitutes

an array of human ingenuity and resourcefulness. It is a demonstration of human

capacity that is precious and deserves to be treasured.

It is possible to write about “an” Indonesian tradition because each of the ethnic

components had access to many of the same local resources and foreign influences.

Despite local genius and distinctive taste preferences, the ethnic traditions are to

some extent like variations on shared themes. They are physical manifestations of

the Indonesian motto, unity within diversity (bhinneka tunggal ika). Indonesian cloth

may be written about in both general and specific terms. My task here is to offer some

insights, however brief, into their meaning.

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The indigenous peoples had time and the opportunity to develop understandings

of the universe that were consistent and coherent. This is evident even in their

textiles, every detail and aspect of which, from production to patterning, are filled with

meaning. However, Indonesian society has been undergoing radical change for more

than a century. New market conditions suck all in their wake. Rapid urbanization has

weakened the fabric of indigenous social organization and traditional thought, the

ground in which the meaning systems once flourished. New materials, techniques,

LEFT: A sitting

room of a Dutch

home in Makassar,

Sulawesi, circa 1936,

showing the use

of two Sumbanese

hinggi (men’s wraps)

as curtains in the

doorway. The bench

cover may also be of

Sumbanese origin.

(Courtesy of KITLV Leiden)

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LEFT: A recently

made Sumbanese

hinggi applied to a

padded screen (locally

designed). Since

the colonial era the

Sumbanese hinggi has

been popular as an

exotic element of

Western interior decor

perhaps because of the

easily identifiable

representational motifs.

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Weaving a Welcomeby Sian E. Jay

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Although the majority of Indonesian woven textiles were made to be worn on the

body, usually wrapped around the waist or chest, there are a few examples that were

intended for display purposes. The Balinese chequered kain poleng, for example,

were used to drape statues; elsewhere woven cloths might be used to cover ordinary

mats during ceremonies, to cover food and offering baskets, or hung up at weddings

and other life ceremonies. Many families throughout the archipelago bring out their

finest heirlooms woven by their ancestors to display on important occasions. While

these textiles cannot be described as constituting interior décor, their presentation at

such events does highlight their potential for exhibition.

When the Dutch gradually colonised the different islands of the Indonesian

archipelago, they were increasingly impressed with the wide array of textile

traditions, and with the arrival of researchers the importance and meaning of the

cloths soon became apparent. Examples began to find their way into museums

and private collections and into the houses of Dutch families striving to create their

homes in Indonesia. It was undoubtedly European women who began to adapt

traditional woven cloths for interior purposes. In Dutch Indonesian homes various

cloths were draped across tables or cabinets, hung up as curtains or thrown across

a settee or bed to liven up the space. Looking at old photos from the colonial period

it is striking just how imaginative the Dutch homemakers were in their adaptation of

woven textiles.

During the 19th century hotels tended to be located in larger cities such as Batavia,

and in the port cities where they served mainly as accommodation for disembarking

ship’s passengers, who had just arrived from Europe, and who were usually en route

to somewhere else. As such the hotels were designed to be clean and comfortable,

serviceable temporary staging posts for those passing through. They were not

designed as ‘ambassadors’ for Indonesian culture; indeed they often sought to be

as European as possible to create a familiar ambience for the homesick, fresh off

the boat. As such the hotels rarely saw a need to use local woven textiles as part of

their interiors.

By the beginning of the 20th century some hotels began to expand and cater to

higher paying people of status and rank. Although we have no photographic evidence,

it is not inconceivable that touches of Indonesian colour and culture occasionally

The Use of Traditional Textiles for Interiors

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found their way into these spaces. Tourism at that time was relatively intermittent,

and limited to Europeans. They almost certainly would have been interested in

traditional cultures and gradually become aware of textiles.

It was undoubtedly the development of a bigger tourism industry that heralded

the beginning of what became a revolution in the use of traditional woven textiles for

interior décor. The Indonesian tourism industry really got underway between 1910

and 1920 after the Governor General established an official tourist bureau. Many of

the tourists were Dutch already living in Indonesia who wanted to see other parts of

the country, but after World War I an increasing number of people from Holland and

elsewhere began to make their way to the East Indies.

Services supporting tourism began to develop. Bali was by far one of the most

popular destinations, and the Dutch deliberately set out to develop the island as a

tourist paradise. In 1913 Vereeneging Toeristen Verker, the official tourism agency,

published a guide book that covered Java, Bali, Lombok, Sumatra and parts of

RIGHT: Interior of

a Dutch home in

Bengkulu circa 1935.

A warp ikat from

Ende, Flores has been

draped on the table.

This particular type

of cloth was only

made between 1920

and 1940, and it

probably has a dark

brown background

with red and white

motifs. (Courtesy of

KITLV Leiden)

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Design DécorAgam Riadi

Andi Lim

Anita Boentarman

Ary Juwono

Eko Priharseno

Fifi Fimandjaja

Joke Roos

Prasetio Budhi

Reza Wahjudi

Roland Adam

Sammy Hendramianto

Suyin Pramono

Shirley Gouw

Yuni Jie

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One of the greatest challenges faced by indigenous cultures today is to prevent the

erosion and loss of their material legacy. The creation of crafts, tools and knowledge

has sustained people for thousands of years, but confronted by the onslaught of

cheap, mass-produced products, these technical and intellectual skills are in danger

of disappearing. Cita Tenun Indonesia was established by a group of textile lovers

to preserve, develop and promote the textile traditions found throughout Indonesia.

The skills and creativity of Indonesia’s weavers – who are almost exclusively

women – are under particular threat! Cheap, factory produced cloth from Indonesia,

and increasingly from China, means that people turn away from home woven textiles

that become debased and relegated to ‘festival clothing’, while the imported cloth

takes on a status and value that is not warranted by its mode of production.

The importance of traditional woven cloth lies in their meanings; the histories and

values that are encompassed in their production; the time and care that goes into

the preparation of dyes, threads and setting up the loom, as well as the time spent

creating the complicated and intricate ‘works of art’. All of this is now threatened as

people increasingly turn away from the ‘ethnic’ to the ‘modern’.

Cita Tenun Indonesia aims to reverse this attitude towards Indonesia’s woven

heritage by looking for ways to ‘make tradition modern’, to demonstrate that these

beautiful textiles still have a place in the modern world. Indeed, in an increasingly

globalised world where everything looks the same everywhere one goes, nurturing

the traditional to make it modern and make it precious again is the way forward.

Koestriastuti, known as Tria is playing a pivotal role in reversing the decline of

traditional weaving practices in Indonesia. She has extensive experience with the

micro-finance sector of the Ministry of Industry. She was closely involved with providing

financial support for small craft-based workers, including weavers. As a graduate of

product design from the Institute of Technology, Bandung, specialising in textile design

she also has an acute practical understanding of textile weaving. Tria took charge of

the Cita Tenun Indonesia training programme to extend the skills base of the weavers

so that not only would the organisation be able to help preserve weaving traditions, but

also bring traditional textiles to the attention of the modern designer.

In order to adapt and develop traditional techniques, Tria had to go ‘into the field’ to

work with the weavers to find out what was and was not feasible, and then find ways

Working with the Weavers

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Andy Lim’s first love is furniture design, so when this graduate from the University

of New South Wales interior design school was offered the opportunity to work with

hand woven textiles, he immediately began thinking about how they could be used

with his own furniture designs, sold under the label ‘Joop Fine Living’. His approach

to furniture is widely acknowledged for its artistic approach, and the feel he has

created in his boudoir design has all the sensitivity of a water lily painting by Monet.

The room design is created around the rich songket of Palembang, South

Sumatra, which he chose for its intricate detail, and beautifully toned colours. He

uses Palembang contemporary songket paired with custom made weaves, using

these for upholstery and the Palembang contemporary songket for the more ornate

touches such as pillow cases. The result is a beautifully soft pink and grey-blue toned

interior highlighted with splashes of fuchsia.

Andy’s dedication to supporting indigenous hand weaving has led to his gradually

setting up a new gallery that will showcase Indonesian craftsmanship, focusing on

woodcarving and weaving as he believes that their potential has to be explored to

its fullest. He admits, though, that he is up against a great deal of resistance, as

Indonesian clients are unlikely to request Indonesian-themed designs. Even if he

presents it as tropical or eclectic, he is going to have to work hard to sell the idea.

However, if this interior is anything to go by, ‘selling Indonesia’ may not prove too

big a challenge. The furniture and upholstery, as well as the furnishings may well be

one hundred percent Indonesian, but Andy has managed to assemble them so that

the space has an international feel; one of luxury at that! The bedroom setting would

be equally appropriate in an English country house or Hollywood manor.

He has achieved this by keeping the overall feel clean and simple, and the colour

tones soft and neutral. The upholstery on the chairs and the long drapes were made

by Palembang weavers using a Cita Tenun Indonesia contemporary songket design

in soft grey-blue. These tones were picked up in the padded head board behind the

bed, which Andy had specially made, using a West Javanese flat-woven textile or

tenun datar. These soft hued textiles are reflected in the blond stained wood furniture.

To avoid the setting becoming too bland – always a risk when using low and soft

tones – Andy has added highlights to brighten up the space in the form of maroon

OPPOSITE: A blond

wood bedside table by

Andy Lim, blends with

the woven and padded

head board of West

Javanese weave. The

Palembang songket

bed runner with silver

supplementary weft

on plain-woven white

silk base reinforces the

soft-hued undertones,

while a songket

covered picture frame,

also from Palembang,

adds a splash.

Beau

tiful

Boud

oirA

ndi L

im

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For Anita Boentarman a bedroom is a haven of calm and should present a sense of

luxury through simplicity. A graduate in architecture from the University of Indonesia,

Anita went on to study interior design at the New England School of Art and Design.

She returned to Indonesia in 1999 when she was offered a post as lecturer at her

alma mater while at the same time establishing her own furniture production line,

examples of which are featured here.

Anita was set the challenge of creating a bedroom design that is as timeless in

its concept as it is luxurious in its setting. With her architectural background she

approached the project from a structural angle, and using her signature black and

white combination – black wood and white accessories – she has created a techno

feel by adding bold colour combinations. Inspired by an old-fashioned lace mosquito

net, she also made a dramatic statement about the structure of the woven cloth by

laser cutting a Garut floral pattern into the wood for the bed headboard: strength

combined with beauty. These patterns were picked up on the bedside tables and

credenza though embossing.

To create further bedroom drama, Anita used Balinese endek in deep midnight

blue and bright orange to make two padded screens that can be moved around

to change the feel of the space and play with ideas of revealing and concealing

concealing elements of the space.

When she saw the dynamic zig zag patterns of the Balinese rangrang, Anita was

immediately reminded of Italian textile designs by Missoni. The potential of these

textured cloths was immediately apparent. One length found its way onto the bed

as a simple runner; another was converted into cushion covers that were teamed

up with Balinese endek that matched the orange screen behind it. An imaginative

finishing touch to the setting!

This was the first time that Anita had used hand woven Indonesian textiles, and

found with imagination she could work around the constraints of size and colour. She

suggests that designers should always be able to find creative solutions to what may

at first appear to be limitations imposed by the size, colour and quality of the cloth.

In fact, so enthusiastic was Anita at creating one room around hand woven textiles,

that she is now in the process of redesigning the rooms of twelve hotels using such

textiles as her source of inspiration.

OPPOSITE: A luxurious

but simple bedroom has

been created around

Millenia furniture designs,

custom modified to fit in

with the overall theme.

Credenza embossed

with West Javanese

textile design from

Garut, and screen made

using Balinese endek in

midnight blue. Pillows

covered in contemporary

Majalaya (West Java)

ATBM loom silk cloth in

soft hued colours are

complemented by the

Balinese hand woven

rangrang bed runner.

Dyna

mic D

ream

Ani

ta B

oen

tarm

an

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