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Klungkung,
Ancient Kingdoms
”Songket”
Brocade, Royal Costume of Klungkung
When the Bali kingdom
headquartered at Gelgel Village, Klungkung
Regency in the XVI century, the enterprise
of woven cloth grew rapidly. During that
period, woven songket brocade was merely
produced for the royal costume and noble
family. Accordingly, songket that composed
of woven cotton thread had outstandingly
exclusive value.
 Creation
of luxurious motives on woven songket indicated
that such cloth passed through a very complicated
process of production. Not only the woven
thread that is intricate, but also to complete
a piece of woven songket measuring 2X1.25
meters takes time up to one year.
Woven cloth that was well known during the
period of Gelgel Kingdom had varied ingredients.
Thread that was used is not only of processed
result of local cotton estates, but some
were also imported from outside Bali and
even overseas. This matter reveals that
Gelgel Kingdom has a moderately extensive
royal territory including the region across
Bali to Blambangan (Banyuwangi, East Java)
and Lombok Island.
Then, at the beginning of the twentieth
century, Gelgel Kingdom fell out and came
to be Dutch colony. As former centre of
the kingdom, Gelgel Village still retains
the remains of its fames; amongst them is
a traditional distinctive songket brocade
cloth of Gelgel Village. This village is
situated 1 km south of Klungkung city. From
Denpasar, it takes some an hour drive or
40 km.
Traditional songket-weaving of Gelgel is
identical to luxury and grandeur of royal
period in Bali (sixteenth to twentieth century).
This thread is made of selected cotton fibre,
even often makes use of first-class silk.
Other side that makes the songket sumptuous
and exorbitant is the embroidery of golden
or silver yarn that embellishes the surface
of the cloth so it then looks shining brightly
if it’s looked at.
In ancient times, songket was cloth of grandeur
of Bali’s kings and noble families,
so the use of songket at that time related
to social stratum in the community. Nowadays,
songket is one of traditional costume of
the Balinese. Songket cloth is widely used
in religious activities as in weddings,
tooth-filing, ngaben (Balinese cremation)
and other ceremonies. Do you desire to know
more about traditional songket cloth of
Bali? Simply come to Gelgel Village. (BTN/Nyoman
Sudipa)
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