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Songket
Silk brocades with interweaving patterns of gold and silver thread, songket is the ceremonial dress of the Balinese, to be worn on religious occasions or to one's wedding. Tapestry-like, with motifs of lotus flowers, leaves, birds, butterflies, and 'wayang' figures, songket fabrics are woven on small back-strap looms. Usually only the wealthy can afford a real songket, woven with pure gold thread-gorgeous works of art. Songket can't be washed, so when wet from sweat; it's hung up to dry in the sun. The whole kain songket is purchased in two pieces, which are then sewn together. Men wear the songket saput, a narrow length of cloth worn over the sarong, and the songket udeng, a headband, on formal occasions and religious ceremonies. Beware of shiny ersatz songket from Singapore, with the gold painted on, which looks like the real thing from a distance. Northern-style songket is made in Banjar Bratan, a southern suburb of Singaraja. The Klungkung-style is made at Banjar Jero Agung in Gelgel, two km south of Klungkung; other songket cottage industries are found in Batuan (northeast of Sukawati), in Sideman (Karangasem Regency), and particularly Blayu in southwestern Bali (between Mengwi and Marga). Balinese songket is also sold in art shops of Kuta, Sanur, Denpasar, and Ubud. |
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