The art of Balinese textile decoration is best expressed in men's skirt, chest and head cloths, and women's chest and skirt cloths. Three categories may be distinguished. The first comprises cloths decorated with gold leaf, called prada. These were traditionally produced for royalty and are still used by girls and boys during tooth-filing and marriage ceremonies. The outlines of the design are first drawn on the cloth and coated with glue; the gold-leaf is then applied. Stylized blossoms, plants and birds are the most common motifs; the edges of the cloth are frequently decorated with intertwined swastikas - the symbol of Balinese Hinduism. Other pieces show a distinct Chinese influence.
A second group, just as brilliant and expensive as the prada cloths, are the Balinese songket brocades. Decorative gold and silver colored weft threads are added when these cloths are on the loom. The range of patterns extends from simple crosses and stars to elaborate compositions with trees, creepers, flowers and snakes.
From a historical point of view the production of brocaded fabrics with ornamental wefts of gold and silver was for centuries the exclusive preserve of the higher castes. Today, brahmana women, along with wives and daughters in the princely satriya dalem and satriya jaba families, continue to show considerable skill in this art. Centers of songket production are still to be found in the aristocratic and brahmanical neighborhoods of Karangasem (Amlapura, Sidemen), Buleleng (Bubunan, Bratan), Klungkung and Gelgel, Mengwi (Blayu) and Negara Uembrana).
In 1980, the then governor of Bali, Prof Ida Bagus Mantra, appealed to his fellow citizens to employ Balinese textiles in their ceremonial dress. Apart from promoting village crafts and encouraging the development of the Balinese economy, this has had the effect of reducing the role of these textiles as aristocratic symbols. Anyone of a certain position or wealth is now in a position to flaunt their songket publicly at religious and social events. As a result, the demand for songket cloth has increased dramatically in the past few years.
The third major type of Balinese textile is weft ikat or endek, the weft threads of which are dyed prior to weaving. Areas to be remain uncolored are bound tightly together. Different color combinations may be achieved by repeating the binding and dyeing process several times. Dye is also sometimes applied by hand to the unwoven weft.
Endek is by far the most popular Balinese textile form, and its designs are consequently more reliant on fashion and current trends. The demon heads and wayang figures of the older cloths have nearly all been replaced now by finer geometric motifs. The popularity of endek is spreading beyond Bali to the rest of Indonesia and abroad as enticing new designs are created.
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