Ramayana

This beatiful all natural dyed songket textile illustrates an early scene from the Ramayana where Rama and his brother Laksmana are hunting with bows and arrows in the forest, in seacrh of wild pigs. Songket refers to a supplementary weft technique, the motif being created in the base weave during weaving. The central motif in this songket is wayang or puppet. The pattern is defined by using 300-400 extra heddles. Each of these lifts only those warp threads under which the supplementary weft must pass at a given point in the design. As weaving progresses, the pattern heddle in use changes and the design develops.

In the past, paired songket were worn by both sexes as wedding attire for nobility. Today songket are not tied to caste and are often worn to temple ceremonies or as as matching wedding ensamble by the bride and groom. They are also worn by men as saput or a wrap over the hip-cloths. This songket would be lovely as a table covering.
Dry clean only.

Information about the makers will be supplied with each cloth.
Supplementary weft patterning, two panels sewn together, silk threads used as base with cotton threads as patterning, natural dyes. Dyed and woven in Bali, 2024. Size 194 x 106 cm / 76.5 x 41.5 in