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Raffles 1887

CAPTURING ESSENCE THROUGH IMAGERY

Fabric of life

 
Cultural richness can be found in all aspects of the Balinese way of life, and in the ancient village of Tenganan, it is woven into intricate and beautiful double-ikat textiles called geringsing. Photographer PUTU SAYOGA meets the artisans who guard the legacy of this community’s most treasured textile.

Delicate Handcrafting: A Close-Up of Thread Work

INDONESIAN fabrics have long held an allure with their vast array of colours, motifs and textures that reflect the diverse cultural identity of this beguiling archipelago. For centuries, the practice of producing traditional cloths in the country has been passed down from generation to generation. 
 
One of the most enduring forms is ikat: a particular fabric pattern achieved by dying the threads before the fabric is woven. While ikat is ubiquitous across Indonesia, the highly developed double-ikat style requires such a high level of artisanship that, outside of India and Japan, it is only produced in the ancient village of Tenganan in Bali.  
 
Unlike other textiles, both warp and weft threads are dyed in complex patterns before weaving double-ikat. The Tenganese people use this technique to create their very own version, called geringsing. Intricate, lengthy and ritually laden, the making of geringsing can take from two to five years. 
 
While each pattern has its own meaning, all geringsing textiles share the same spiritual thread, connecting with the generosity of the god Indra. For it was Indra – god of thunder, lightning, rain and warfare – who created the shadows in the sky to be used as patterns for the cloths. Believed to contain extraordinary protective powers, gerinsing fabrics are an essential part of ceremonial dress in Bali, and worn at every important event, from weddings to the cutting of a child’s first tooth. And if cared for correctly, cloths can last for hundreds of years, making them a highly prized heirloom, as well as some of the rarest fabrics in the world.

The traditional rust hues of the geringsing cloth are derived from vegetable dyes, including a red dye from the roots of the noni tree (morinda citrifolia).
The traditional rust hues of the geringsing cloth are derived from vegetable dyes, including a red dye from the roots of the noni tree (morinda citrifolia).
When all the threads are dyed with natural colouring, the geringsing weaving process can begin.
When all the threads are dyed with natural colouring, the geringsing weaving process can begin.
Artisan Kadek Trisnawati dyes the threads for the textile naturally with the roots of the noni tree, achieving an extraordinary depth of colour.
Artisan Kadek Trisnawati dyes the threads for the textile naturally with the roots of the noni tree, achieving an extraordinary depth of colour.
Weaver Ni Rusni works on the textile using a backstrap loom: warp threads need to be carefully placed on the loom and matched up perfectly with the other threads in the pattern.
Weaver Ni Rusni works on the textile using a backstrap loom: warp threads need to be carefully placed on the loom and matched up perfectly with the other threads in the pattern.
Yarns might be dyed repeatedly up to 25 times with intermediate drying times of three months.
Yarns might be dyed repeatedly up to 25 times with intermediate drying times of three months.
Weaver Tua Rantis prepares the threads for dyeing by tying in the motifs, which can take the best part of a year
Weaver Tua Rantis prepares the threads for dyeing by tying in the motifs, which can take the best part of a year
Tanganan is home of the Bali Aga people, and is famous for its well-preserved village layout and the ongoing survival of its traditional crafts.
Tanganan is home of the Bali Aga people, and is famous for its well-preserved village layout and the ongoing survival of its traditional crafts.
Deni Wiradnyani wears her family geringsing textile, said to shield and protect people as they transition from one phase of life to the next.
Deni Wiradnyani wears her family geringsing textile, said to shield and protect people as they transition from one phase of life to the next.
Portrait of a Man with a Confident Smile

Putu Sayoga is a documentary and travel photographer based on the island of Bali. He taught himself the art of photography – especially street photography – during his college days in Yogyakarta, and regularly documents Indonesia’s unique cultural traditions, from high octane horse racing, or ‘pacoa jara’, on Sumbawa Island to Wayang Wong dance performances in Tunjuk Village, Bali. His work has been published in DestinAsian, Le Monde, Monocle, The New York Times, Travel+Leisure SEA and ZEITmagazin, and he is co-founder of the documentary collective Arka Project.

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