Types of Fabrics

History of Indonesian Traditional Fabric
Indonesia is an archipelago consisting of approximately 17,000 islands and is divided into several provinces, and this is why Indonesia has led to cultural diversity. One of the most important cultural heritage that is the traditional woven cloth.
As is known weaving (clothing) traditionally thought to have started since the Neolithic (Prehistoric), which found evidence of the findings of prehistoric objects prehistoris older than 3,000 years ago.
Traces the legacy of this garment manufacture was found on the site Gilimanuk, Melolo, East Sumba, Mount Wingko, Yogyakarta, and others. In this region are found being of (cap) woven, tools for spinning, kereweng kereweng-woven fabric and stamped with the obvious material of woven fabric made of cotton.

In prehistoric times serves as a protective body clothing from heat and cold, and insect problems and sharp objects. The materials used are very simple, such as bark, animal skins, fiber, leaves, and roots of plants. The tools used to make clothing in the form of battering from wood or stone, a rectangular shape and there are some lines in the middle.
Making clothing from bark requires experience and knowledge, after being selected tree species and has hard wood fiber length, then the tree (wood), hulled, and then soaked wood fibers for soft water. With a wood bat stones then formed into a fabric skin. Time tradition of making this kind of cloth was found in the area of Central Sulawesi, called "Fuya" and in Irian called "Capo".

In the classical period, India, Persia, China, Europe is a country that many traditional woven fabrics affect Indonesia. But did not rule out other countries like Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, dab etc. also influence it. These effects in addition to looking at the ornaments or carvings of buildings, temples, glass paintings, songs, and so forth. Chinese influence is still apparent today is the architecture of the Great Mosque of Banten, the design of the main mosque roofed buildings stacked five entrusted to the architect of China named Check Ban Cut, so that the building shows the idiom of Chinese pagodas, both of form, expression through carving. Another effect is also visible on the cloth like bird poenix patterned fabric. Depictions of animals and even humans ape on reliefs in the temples such as Borobudur and Prambanan (a scene-Subali Sugriwa) 8-9 centuries portrayed wearing clothes.

In the Old Javanese inscriptions can be found in terms that provide a snapshot of the weaving in the past. At year inscription framed Middle Reef 847 (Col. Mus D Nas No. 27) contained the words "white hlai 1 (one) kalambi" means a single strand of white cloth and clothing. In the inscription "New" in 1034 AD called Pawdikan word batik means or weavers. In the inscription "Cane" in 1021 AD and the inscriptions of the year 929 AD Singosari (Col. Mus Nas No. 88) contained the term "makapas" or madagang cotton. In the folklore that has to do with weaving is the story of the Kuriang, a key figure in the story that is Dayang Sumbi whose job is to weave everyday. Making clothes in the past to the instructions on the relief of "women were weaving" is inscribed on the stone base of the region Trowulan 14th century, now stored in the Museum Trowulan, East Java.

Woven manufacturing techniques can be divided into two major categories, namely techniques for making cloth (loom) and techniques to create decoration. There are two very important thing is preparing the manufacture of yarn and the manufacture of dyes.
Making yarn traditionally by using ballast played with the finger (Java: diplintir), ballast is shaped like a top made of wood or terracotta. In western Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Bali, Lombok), there are other ways to make yarn using the "Antih," This instrument consists of a wide wheel that can be played the following hook (Javanese: Ontel) to rotate the wheel. Materials made of yarn other than cotton, bark, banana fiber, pineapple fiber, palm leaves,

Manufacture of dyes in the past consisted of two blue and red. The blue color is obtained from indigo or Mirinda Citrifonela or noni. In addition there are other dyes from plants like kesumba (sono rivet).
There are two regions of the division of the loom, the first loom of eastern Indonesia, in general weaver sits on the ground outside the house, in the shade or on the floor of the house, by linking one of these tools on the pole. Both loom western Indonesia (Java-Bali), in this area there is a loom is called "Cacak" which is two short poles that were given parts to put the board in order to roll up yarn that will be woven, the tool is usually placed on a "divan" is halls are made of bamboo.

Woven rope is woven fabric made with a technique of weaving where weft, warp or both dyed before weaving, the threads are tied not subject to color, so that once released would arise fastening the desired patterns. Warp ikat fabrics also exist in combination with decorative beads.
Songket fabric is woven fabric made with a technique to add the feed yarns, trimmings made by inserting a thread of silver, gold or colored thread on warp, sometimes decorated with beads, shells or coins. In Palembang songket cloth woven with gold or silver thread known as the Weaving Songket Palembang, this craft began since the era of Sriwijaya. Several centuries ago, this craft is an obligation for the teens before they begin to settle down. This cloth is used for traditional ceremonies, generally worn by women in the marriage ceremony and by the dancers. In the past sarong songket "Lepus" is made of silk decorated with gold thread, only used by the daughters of the king in ceremonial grandeur.

Striated fabric is how to create a fabric woven with a garnish or longitudinal lane lines. In the Java community, especially in the area of Probolinggo shawl striated "Tulak watu" is used for ceremonies seven monthly (Java: Tingkeban / mitoni) and to meruwat (ngruwat). Tingkeban ceremony is conducted for safety by a woman who first seven months pregnant, to be bathed by a shaman. In pregnant women the ceremony, saying: "If a man like Kumajaya hopefully and if women should be like a goddess Ruth." Striated patterned fabrics have a certain magical power that can eliminate evil spirits, cure illness, prevent a person from bad luck and so forth .
Batik fabrics are fabrics made with decorative techniques on white fabric with evening wear or a candle. Decorative technique on a white cloth painted with canting or cap material and then soaked in dye color. Batik-making techniques at first use sticky material as reist-dyed (night) in the process of batik and a pen sort of instrument as cantingnya, batik is called batik "symbol." Further development found lebab night, lanceng as a substitute glutinous porridge, and then developed into a candle batik canting stationery and equipment.