IKAT METHOD AND MOTIF

Fashion and loom

Mrs. Mio Marcella our Kiku Liluk Foundation director and backstrap loom.

Sikka weaving is a cultural work that has been passed down for generations by Sikka women since ancient times. Ikat refers to the method for weaving and the cloth while sarong or sarong is the type of clothing. Traditionally made ikat has a variety of motifs that have high artistic and philosophic values. The function of sarong is usually used by the Sikka people as everyday clothes. However, this woven cloth is also used as dowry or Belis, traditional ceremonies or moments of life, such as, birth, marriage and death.

Guests arriving at a wedding wearing ikat fashion

Attendees arriving to a Belis or dowry ceremony.

Sikka woven cloth is usually used as a woman's sarong (utang), Men's sarong (lipa) and headband (lesu). EVen so, this cloth is generally more widely used by women. According to to the Sikka people ikat has a philosophy dua utang ling labu weling, which means that the sarong and clothes of every woman must be valuable.

A traditional tool for preparing cotton

A cotton gin for removing cotton seeds

This is a tool used to process cotton into yarn. The process of making Sikka ikat takes quite a long time. Starting from preparing the equipment, the process of getting of getting the cotton fiber, making the fiber into yarn, the process of tying on the thread, natural dyeing, composing, to weaving the whole process is done traditionally.