The Balinese Cloths Geringsing

 The geringsing is considered sacred throughout Bali and has always been very rare and expensive. Many stories have been told about it - human blood is said to be needed in order to acquire its deep rich color. Older items sometimes come up for sale but are inevitably damaged. If you want to buy a geringsing, tenganan is the worst place to start, s the villagers here would never sell you their sacred cloth. What is available is usually bought from outside to be sold at outrageous prices to unsuspecting tourists. 

A number of places specialist in ne ikat cloths. Singaraja in north Bali is renowned as home of the best ikat. Gianyae has many ikat factories with hundreds of women still weaving by hand. Sediman, on the way to Besakih Temple, also has famous factory. if you are looking for a bargain, try Denpasar market. Nowadays, ikat is rarely made from woven silk but from cotton or rayon. Colors are usually very bright and many of the motifs are new. To test the quality, find out if the colors run or the cloth shrinks.

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See also other Balinese Textiles : Balinese Cloth Ikat  Balinese Cloth Geringsing Balinese Cloth Songket Balinese Cloth Prada  Balinese Cloth Pelangi Balinese Cloth Batik

The Balinese Cloths Ikat

Some of the best known traditional Balinese cloths include ikat (a Malay word meaning to tie or bind), an ancient technique where a motif is dyed into the threads of ikat, two of which are found in Bali. The first kind is "warp ikat", usually woven in silk. Found in many parts of Bali, it is usually used to make saput, outer sarongs, or the scarves worn on ceremonial occasions. The Indian patola textiles have influenced the designs and motifs, which the Balinese have redesigned with more abstract patterns, creating new variations.

Certainly the most famous ikt in Bali is the geringsing, only woven in a tiny village of Bali Aga called Tenganan. Here the ikat pattern is created in both the warp and welt threads. This process, known as "double ikat", is difficult, requiring both expertise and patience to align the two patterns.

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See also other Balinese Textiles : Balinese Cloth Ikat  Balinese Cloth Geringsing Balinese Cloth Songket Balinese Cloth Prada  Balinese Cloth Pelangi Balinese Cloth Batik

The Balinese Textiles

The sheer beauty and artistry of traditional Balinese textiles have made them famous throughout the world. since  time immemorial, traditional Balinese textiles have played a major role in the daily life and ceremonies of the Balinese people. Not only are they used to male clothes but they are also status symbols and an indicator of the wearer's station in life.

In the past, women from royal families competed with each other to create the most dazzling textiles using sumptuous materials. It was also believed that textiles were endowed with supernatural powers that protected the wearer from evil influences. they also function as a link between the present and the next world in religious festivals. For example in cremations, hundreds of meters of expensive cloth were turned to ashes to accompany the soul of the dead in its journey to the next world.

The womenfolk of Bali are the keepers of the knowledge of making textiles, which are handed down from one generation to another. Such knowledge included the secret ingredients of certain dyes and a vast collection of sacred motifs. As important duty of a Balinese mother is to pass her precious knowledge of textiles of her daughter.

Balinese Traditional Cloth

1. Cloths Ikat	2. Cloths Geringsing
3. Cloths Songket	4. Cloths Prada
5. Cloths Pelangi	6. Cloths Balinese Batik