ALL
textiles
ICH Elements 11
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Batik
The word “Batik” means “drawing out with wax”. The coloured and patterned cloth has gained popularity not only in Malaysia but also in international fashion scenes. This fabric normally carries motifs that reflect the flora and fauna, geometry and landscape of nature. Terengganu Batik is renowned for its vibrant colours, bold prints and its versatility. It is soft, light and breezy and very well suited for the summer and tropical climate and its fabric is made into shirts, dresses, crepe de chine, scarves, kaftans, sarongs, pillow cases, bags, table cloths and many more items. There are two types of batik, the hand drawn and the block print. The hand drawn is based on the artist’s imagination and creativity. The artist begins by using a small pen-like container filled with hot-melted wax. It is then hand-drawn onto a white fabric with hot liquid wax creating a design. Brushes are then used to paint dyes within the outlines, thus allowing for the creation of shaded and multihued designs. The gracefulness and speed of their freehand never ceases to amaze one’s attention. It is a beauty of the highest form of traditional batik where each hand-drawn article of clothing is unique. The block print batik uses either a copper or a wooden block that looks like a domestic iron, artistically designed with intricate patterns. The block is dipped in a hot melted wax and press printed on the white cloth, which is then dyed in the colours required, rinsed and dried. Many contemporary designers also incorporate elements of this ancient craft into their colourful creations. Today, batik is not only used for outfits, but innovative commercial uses of this beautiful and artistic textile are made into bags, cushion covers, curtains, slippers etc.
Malaysia -
Kui-tha: Himalayan Nettle Fabric
The different species of nettle grow at different altitudes between 1200 and 3000 meters. The tradition of weaving cloth from nettle yarn, which was practiced for decades by the women of Ney village in Gangzur Gewog (block) in Lhuentse Dzongkhag (district), had once disappeared from the village. According to them, it has been more than 40 years since they saw their grandparents weaving cloth from the nettle plant. People used to make thak-pa (rope), khor-ga (bag), shing-ka (old women's clothes), pha-tsa (sacks), bra-gar (old men's clothes), etc. Nettle fabrics are still used for traditional bowstrings in different parts of the country. Nettle plants are readily available in villages, but a series of processes are required to turn them into a fine yarn. It is said that making yarn from nettle plants lost popularity after cotton became readily available. This is also because it is available as a finished product, which reduces the workload. An elderly resident from Ney, Tenzin Wangmo, tells how they use nettle fiber for weaving. She tells that they used to use a different process. First, a hole was dug in which the nettle bark and the hardwoods needed were placed to heat the stone. Then ash mixed with water was applied to the nettle bark and it was placed in the previously dug hole. The bark coated with ash and the hot stone were alternately placed in the hole and covered with thick ash to prevent the fibers from being destroyed by combustion, and kept for 2 to 3 nights. The last process was washing the fibers in a draining river by continuous beating until they were white.
Bhutan -
Bumthang Yathra: Woolen textile of Bumthang
Yathra weaving is found in six gewogs (Chungphel, Zhurey, Kertsho, Bhim, Terzoe and Yeerangbi) in Chummey village. The raw material or fabric for Bumthap Yathra is traditionally sheep wool and yak hair. However, the importation of raw material from India is a result of the decline in sheep population. In addition, wool from Bhutan was considered to be of higher quality, but the prices are unusually high. For this reason, Indian wool is now in demand because of its cheaper price. The cheapest made-up and bleached wool costs Nu 300 per kg in India, while the highest quality wool costs Nu 1,200 per kg. To keep production costs low, Yathra manufacturers rely on imported wool. Yathra factory owners receive between Nu 10,000 and Nu 15,000 for weaving 15 pieces of yathra. People in Bumthang are forced to use yathra as bedding, raincoats, and jackets due to the long, bitter winters in the region. Likewise, yathra is one of the most sought-after commodities in the local handicraft industry, as yathra can be hand-woven as jackets and floor coverings because it is warm. Recently, Yathra products are becoming popular worldwide through Bhutan's digital fashion site such as Bhutan Street Fashion. In addition, Yathra coats and other pieces of fabric made from Yathra are used as costumes in fashion events because of their intricate patterns. The global and local levels of the economy are interdependent, with the lives of locals of Chummey village, known for Bumthap Yathra, being improved by international tourists buying Yathra as souvenirs and fashion items despite its high price. The economic activity of Bhutanese goods like Yathra locally and globally leads to a financial landscape where money flows across borders and generates revenue for the country.
Bhutan -
Kam thag-ma: Cotton Woven garment
Colloquially, Mo-ngan kha-mung (Cotton Woven Cloth) is also called as Kam thag-ma in Dzongkha (Bhutanese national language). It is one of the practices in this locality which is the main source of income for most of the household. This has been practiced for many years but when and who had started this practice was not known. The clothes woven out of cotton are found thick and warm compared to the one which is imported. It‘s cost is also high compared to the one which is woven in ordinary yarn and threads. The products are of different colors and patterns. The cost depends upon the color of the cloth and the patterns used. The cost for the men’s clothes is higher than that of women’s. They used local materials for dying for different colors. With the support from the APIC, the people in the village from a small group to uplift and keep the Mo-ngan kha-mung production alive. According to the Chiwog Tshogpa (Community representative), annually a group of people from Japan and other part of the nation used to visit, however due to prolonged lockdown the group is been affected as not so many products are able to sell. Nimin daza also shared her worrisome feelings of dying such age-old method of producing Mo-ngan kha-mung since not so many youths take interest in learning, nevertheless with the support from government (APIC) she is very optimistic that young women may develop interest, unlike the past they need not have to sit for long to separate seed and Mo-ngan.
Bhutan