Songket or sungkit is a tenun fabric that belongs to the brocade family of textiles of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. It is hand-woven in silk or cotton, and intricately patterned with gold or silver threads. The metallic threads stand out against the background cloth to create a shimmering effect. In the weaving process the metallic threads are inserted in between the silk or cotton weft (latitudinal) threads in a technique called supplementary weft weaving technique.
A group of women dressed in indigenous clothing songket from Batipuh near Padang Panjang highlands of West Sumatra, circa 1895.
Songket in Palembang Aesan Gede wedding costume, South Sumatra
The statue of Durga Mahisasuramardini from 13th century Singhasari temple shows the sash is carved with "star flower" motifs, a pattern that continues today in songket design.
Minangkabau wedding ceremony using songket Minangkabau cloth in Padang Panjang, West Sumatra, late 19th century.
Tenun is an artful Indonesian technique of making a fabric by weaving different colours of threads. Tenun belongs to one of the typical Indonesian cultural arts produced by hand skills using traditional looms. The word Tenun itself has a high meaning, historical value, and technique in terms of colors, motifs, and types of materials and threads used and each region has its own characteristics. In addition, Tenun is also one of Indonesia's original cultural heritages that is still maintained and preserved to this day.
A traditional weaver from Sumatra
The Tenun weavers in Yogyakarta, circa 1900
Tenun Baduy
Bentenan
