"(Traditional fabric) is an outstanding cultural work," the ministry's Director General of Culture, Hilmar Farid, stated during the Nusantara Woven Fabric exhibition at the Borobudur Temple complex in Magelang district, Central Java, on Wednesday (November 30).
He noted that traditional fabric, known in Indonesian as wastra, is a traditional fabric with unique symbols, meanings, and history, that give it a high value.
The ministry's director general said that the Borobudur temple -- the exhibition venue -- has reliefs depicting traditional fabric in ancient times.
"Borobudur temple reliefs also depict information about the traditional fabric, so it has a historical connection with this temple," Farid remarked.
Apart from traditional woven fabric, jewelry and artefacts from the Sumba region were showcased at the event.
Meanwhile, fashion designer Edward Hutabarat, whose 2023 Autumn-Winter collection was exhibited in the Kabakil Fashion Show at the event, said the beauty of Sumba traditional fabric is radiated by the varied patterns and its philosophical meaning.
He added that creating beautiful woven fabric requires a delicate process, which takes a long time.
"This represents patience, starting from spinning the yarn from cotton until it becomes a fabric," Hutabarat stated.
The fashion designer pointed out that a peculiarity of Sumba traditional weaving is the kabakil process, which requires opposing weaving direction and twisting the thread.
He said that the kabakil process makes the thread more firmly bonded in the fabric and creates a neat woven fabric product.
"The woven fabric created by the kabakil process is what makes the Sumba fabric special," Hutabarat remarked.
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Translator: Zubi Mahrofi, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Suharto
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