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Textiles
of Bali
The Batik of Bali provides another venue of showing the artistic
excellence of the Balinese people. Their beautiful designs,
inspired by religious mythologies to everyday encounters,
spread throughout the world. Originally stimulated by Javanese
motifs, dominated by wayang and other mythological characters,
contemporary batik artists have also experienced artistic
development that parallels that of paintings. Modern batik
artists express themselves through various subjects, from
objects of nature such as birds or fish to daily activities
such as cremation (ngaben) procession or tourist attractions
as well as religious and mythological stories, accompanied
by modern interpretation.
The Ikat and Double Ikat are two amazing techniques that
the Balinese have perfected. A piece of Ikat cloth is woven
in such a way that the ink is 'tied' (which is what 'ikat'
literally translates to) in one of the two threads. A Double
Ikat recursively repeats this technique; both threads contain
ink. The ink will bleed to its neihboring area, and the result
is a piece of cloth with distinctive, subtle patterns.
The village of Tenganan is well known for its superb double
ikat work. A good piece of double ikat may take months to
complete, and it usually belongs to the family heirloom. Certain
patterns, such as the black and white, checkered, double ikat
are considered to have protective powers against the evil
spirits. Thus, they are used a lot to cover or to dress statues
that guard the entrance to a temple or sacred masks like Barong.
A piece of ikat shirt or a batik wrap-around, each can be
had for as little as a few dollars, are must have. Local garment
shops will gladly supply you with these or any other kinds
of Balinese garments that might interest you.
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