Lesson 1 Southeast Asian

Traditional Textiles
LearnInG tarGetS
At the end of the lesson, you are expected to
1. identify the characteristics of the traditional textiles in specific countries
in Southeast Asia;
2. describe the different processes of developing textiles among countries
in Southeast Asia according to functionality, traditional specialized
expertise, and availability of resources; and
3. create an art masterpiece that exhibits the traditional textile of one of
the Southeast Asian countries.
ART

GettInG ready

Have you visited any country in Southeast Asia? What are the things that
you still remember in those places? If you will be given a chance to go to
a Southeast Asian country, where will you go and why?

Learn and Share

Southeast Asia is made up of a large mainland peninsula and a maritime

area of 20 000 islands scattered through the Pacific Ocean and Indian
Ocean. Much of the land in this region is mountainous and covered in
dense, tropical forest.
Southeast Asia is extremely rich in terms of arts and crafts. Although most
of the arts and crafts of the region have been influenced by its major
religions — Islam, Buddhism, and Christianity, Southeast Asian arts are
influenced by Hinduism as a result of the interaction between the people
of the region and India.
Textiles, along with other types of arts and crafts, have been a fundamental
part of the culture of the region, embodying its beliefs, traditions, and
other cultural traits, including arts.

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The traditional textiles of the region using a wide array of locally produced
raw materials, and various techniques, like applique, meaning, batik, and
embroidery, were used not only for producing everyday clothing but also
as materials for sacred and ceremonial costumes, and for various other
purposes, such as for hangings and banners, among other things.
Indonesia
Batik is an ancient art that has been practiced for 2 000 years in Southeast
Asia especially in Indonesia. It is a technique of wax-resist dyeing applied
to cloth, made in two ways: (1) by drawing dots and lines of the resist
with a tjanting (or canting), which is a stylus-like tool that has a small
copper receptacle with a sprout that allows artisans to apply hot wax in a
controlled stream, or (2) by printing the resist with a copper stamp (or cap).
The word batik may be Javanese in origin and it probably comes from the
words umba, “to write,” and tik “to dot,” or from the hypothetical Proto-
Austronesian root becik, “to tattoo.”
Since each region has its own traditional pattern, batik materials are
usually distinguished by the region where they come from (e.g. batik solo,
batik Pekalongan, batik madura). Batik from Java can be distinguished
by its general pattern and colors and is subdivided into batik pedalaman
(inland batik) and batik pesisir (coastal batik).
Because of the diversity of ethnic groups in Indonesia, it can be deduced
that wedding customs will reflect this diversity. Thus, each ethnic group
has different wedding dresses as well as different marriage ceremonies
and customs.
Many Indonesian batik patterns are symbolic. Batik slings decorated with
symbols are used to carry an infant for it is believed that these symbols will
bring luck to the infant. Certain batik designs are also reserved for brides,
bridegrooms, and their families.
Other designs are reserved for the sultan and his family and/or attendants.
The batik pattern a person wears may determine his/her rank in society.
There are two categories of batik design: geometric motifs, which tend to
be the earlier designs and free form designs, which are based on stylized
patterns of natural forms or imitations of a woven texture. Nitik is the most
famous design illustrating this effect.
The Kawung batik motif appeared on the 13th century Hindu temples
and is said to provide valuable insight into Sakti mythology, venerating
the goddess of all creation in Hinduism. Thus, it has many symbolic

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 meanings: the palm blossoms indi-
cate purity and honesty; the palm
fruit symbolizes fertility and hope;
and the Areca palm espouses the
philosophy of universal energy, the
sacred origin of human life, longevity,
and eternal life.
Originally worn by only the sultan
and his family, the Kawung was one
of the forbidden motifs for the general
population. This motif is believed to
be linked to power, wisdom, and
Kawung Universal Energy, batik artwork
justice and was thought to imbue
these qualities to the wearer.
The Ceplok motif design is known
for its repeated geometric shapes,
such as squares, rectangles, ovals,
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and stars. It forms an overall sym-

metric pattern on the cloth. It was
traditionally worn by the parents of
the groom in traditional Javanese
wedding ceremonies. Its pattern
symbolizes the coming together of
a harmonious marriage, children,
good luck, and happiness. Ceplok Cakar Ayam

One of the most powerful batik motifs with strong parallel diagonal lines,
the Parang, with its sacred pattern, was originally worn only by the king.
The most famous of these batik motifs used by the royal courts of Central
Java is the Parang Rusak. Parang Rusak literally means “defective big
knife,” which is reflected in its diagonal batik patterns mirroring the human
perspective on environmental landscape and life as representation of the
creator’s behavior and personality.

Parang Rusak Klitik and Modern Batik Parang

Kembang Rambat

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Malaysia
The Malaysian batik is a batik textile art of Malaysia. Its most popular
motifs are leaves and flowers. Those depicting humans or animals are rare
because the norms of Islam forbid the use of animal images as decoration.
The Malaysian batik is usually worn by men during dinner functions while
ladies wear it as a formal dress, combining batik with modern fashion.

Malaysian batik

A batik shop in Malaysia

Cambodia
Cambodia is known for its most diverse and abundant arts and culture
in Southeast Asia. Its history and religious principles guide and inspire
its arts. Weaving has played an important role in the trade industry of
Cambodia for centuries. The two main types of Cambodian weaving are

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 ikat technique and uneven twill. The weavers of ikat technique tie dye
portions of weft yarn to create diverse patterns. The uneven twill weaving
technique often results in the color of one thread dominating on one side
of the fabric, while two other threads determine the color on the reverse
side. Most of the Cambodian indigenous weavers produce silk cloth,
rugs, kramas, tapestries, and hats, and these goods are always interesting,
colorful, and unique.
ART

Wooden spindle Ikat weaving

Skeins of silk Ikat thread

Laos
Lao People’s Democratic Republic, also known as Laos, produces intricate
and beautiful designs in fabric. The Laos people’s age-old tradition of
silk and cotton weaving is produced by the women of Lao village. They
use wooden framed looms which are operated using both hands and
feet. Their fabrics are usually woven from hand grown, spun, and dyed
cotton or silk thread and their weaving looms are usually located under
the house, the coolest part of their dwelling. Their traditional designs and
patterns include symbols like diamonds, birds, snakes, elephants and

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other animals, and flowers. The traditional Lao skirt (sinh) must be worn
by Lao women and is required to be worn as school attire by girls. On
the other hand, the Lao men wear European style clothing, such as suit
adorned by a Lao silk sash, at ceremonies, presentations, and weddings.

Silk brocade scarf from Laos

Vietnam
Vietnam is the home of golden thread silk which is the result of the
Vietnamese’ passion for fabric, food, and culture. Most of the Vietnamese
jacquard fabrics come from Ha Dong, the center of weaving and sericulture
in Vietnam. The jacquard fabric, named after the French inventor of the
Jacquard loom (a modern automatic loom), Joseph Marie Jacquard, is
a weft double-knit fabric with intricate patterns inserted directly into the
fabric during the manufacturing process. Old jacquard looms are still used
in weaving patterns that contain centuries-old symbols and characters.
The shantung taffeta is an exquisite Vietnamese fabric. The colony satin
is a lustrous silk fabric which is handwoven in southern Vietnam and is
naturally dyed. Knowledge about the production of the ebony satin was
lost during the war, but recently, Vo Viet Chung, a Vietnamese designer,
revitalized the weaving of ebony satin, which is an important piece in the
silk weaving history of Vietnam.

Shantung tafetta

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 Thailand
Thailand is well known for its Thai textile, which is an example of Thai’s
indigenous handicraft. Most Thai weavers come from the Khorat Plateau
in the northern region of Thailand. They produce silk fabrics with compli-
cated patterns in various colors and styles. They hand-reel numerous silk
threads onto a wooden spindle to create a thick strand of silk. This process
takes Thai weavers about 40 hours to produce half a kilogram of silk.
Thai weavers often produce Erí silk, which is a staple fiber, unlike other
silk materials which are continuous filament, since the Erí silk fabric is
stronger, more durable, more elastic, darker, and heavier than other silk
fabrics, and blends well with wool and cotton.
The silk is produced when silkworms feed on mulberry trees and produce
saliva or filament which is then spun to create silk thread.
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A sample of handwoven, handmade silk with natural dyes from Ban

Tha Sawang, Surin Province, Thailand

Since the production of genuine hand-woven Thai silk is laborious and

costly, the Thai government protects it from fraudulent imitation by
assigning four peacock emblems to authenticate and categorize their
silk products. The gold peacock emblem is assigned to premium royal
Thai silk that is traditionally hand-made and produced from native Thai
silkworm breeds. The silver peacock emblem is assigned to classic Thai
silk; the blue peacock emblem is assigned to Thai silk; and the green
peacock emblem is assigned to Thai silk blend (a product of blending silk
and other fabrics).

Activity

Toothpaste Batik
Materials
1. Toothpaste 5. Pencil
2. Hand lotion 6. Cardboard
3. Empty glue bottle 7. Muslin/White fabric
4. Drawing paper 8. Tape
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 9. Permanent markers
10. Tempera/Acrylic paint
11. Water cups
12. Water
Procedure
1. Pour mixture of 1/2 toothpaste and 1/2 lotion into an empty glue
bottle and shake well.
2. Draw a design on a sheet of paper and trace it with a permanent
marker. These lines will be white lines on the fabric.
3. Tape the sheet of paper onto the cardboard and then tape the fabric
over it.
4. Trace the lines of your design on the fabric using the mixture and
leave overnight to dry. The mixture will feel gummy.
5. Paint the fabric with tempera/acrylic paint according to your desired
design. Let the paint dry.
6. Remove the fabric from the cardboard and wash it under warm water.
Rinse it gently and thoroughly and let it dry.
7. Once dry, you can add more details using permanent markers.

Keep In MInd
 Southeast Asian countries produce traditional textiles that represent
their rich culture, using materials that are abundant in their respective
lands.
 The ancient art of batik originated from Indonesia. Batik is the hand-
dyeing technique used by Indonesians to design fabrics used in
different occasions. The batik fabrics worn by a person also indicate
his/her status in society.
 Malaysian batik fabrics are popular for their leaves-and-flowers
designs. These fabrics are usually worn during formal social functions.
 Cambodian textiles are made with colorful patterns that have complex
meanings and purposes. There are two types of techniques used in
weaving Cambodian textile — the ikat technique and the uneven twill
technique.
 The age-old traditions of silk and cotton weaving in Laos is carried
out mostly by women. Their fabrics contain traditional designs and
patterns, such as diamonds, birds, snakes, elephants and other
animals, and flowers.

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  Vietnam is a producer of golden thread silk which the Vietnamese use
to weave exquisite Vietnamese fabrics, like the shantung taffeta and
ebony satin.
 Thai silk is produced using the cocoon of Thai silk-worms. Traditional
textiles from Thailand are authenticated and categorized using an
emblem system.

evaLuatIon
Compare and contrast the different traditional textiles of the discussed
Southeast Asian countries. Discuss the similarities and differences in
terms of techniques and equipment used, purpose, and symbolisms. Use
a graphic organizer (Venn diagram/table) to present your answer.
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vaLueS InteGratIon
Answer the following questions.
1. In what ways are the artwork designs of Southeast Asian countries
unique and different from one another?

2. How does religion in Southeast Asia play a significant role in creating

the artwork designs of the region?

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