Songket - The Beautiful Cloth

Songket is a beautiful cloth that is unique to Palembang, South Sumatera. It is made from threads that have been dyed in various colors and woven on a simple weaving loom, using the technique learned from Indian traders. The most popular colors are red and purple and after completion the cloth is traditionally used in wedding ceremonies. Due to use of woven gold thread, in the archives of Indonesian traditional textiles, Songket from Palembang, have been recognized as a luxurious textile.

How to store Songket:
1. Roll songket using a tube lined with acid free paper in between. First, lay the songket in a flat surface. Smooth it. Then place the tube parallel to the warp threads. Interleaved each layer with acid free paper or washed cotton cloth. Roll gently with the right side inward.
2. Then wrap the songket in a plastic bag. Store in a standing position.
3. Never dry cleaned the songket. Only storage them in a dark and clean place, with enough breathing space.
4. Avoid folding Songket for too long. The gold thread may break and causes the Songket to have permanent folding effect.

Coincidentally, in our neighborhood there is a small house where songket is made. As I enter the house, I see the weaving looms are all very neatly arranged with about 18 women each weaving a piece of cloth. The women sit on the floor on a cushion or mat with their legs straight out in front of them under the weaving loom....for hours each day. It takes several weeks of work to make one piece of cloth that is about 3 feet wide by 7 feet long. The weavers are usually paid between $20 and $30 for their labor depending on the pattern and quality of their work.

Most of the women that weave songket come from small villages and travel by bus to get to the city. After they finish a piece of cloth and receive their pay, they usually return to their village to visit with their families and their children....staying only about a week before returning to the songket factory.