Threads That Bind

The celebration of life’s dynamics is intricately tied to the way we connect and commemorate, much like threads woven into fabric. We cannot exist in isolation; thus, we must build strong communities. Human relationships resemble the threads in fabric—the tighter they bind, the stronger the fabric becomes.

Precious Heritage: Balinese Ikat Weaving
As a cherished legacy, Balinese ikat fabric celebrates family unity and creates bonds across generations. Each material used is sourced from nature, cultivated, and processed with unwavering dedication.
Every pattern on Balinese ikat tells the story of a community, a past generation, and their lived experiences—viewed through their unique lens. While each type of fabric varies from one region to another, they all uphold cultural heritage, traditions, beliefs, and convictions in Bali.

The Artistry of Balinese Ikat
The sheer beauty of Balinese ikat is awe-inspiring. Crafted from abundant natural materials, it adheres to traditional weaving techniques to preserve its authenticity.
Across generations, Balinese women have guarded the secrets of creating traditional ikat. Some motifs originate from Java and were introduced to Bali during the Majapahit kingdom era.
Each ikat possesses rich characteristics and serves specific purposes. Fabrics like poleng, endek, keling, bebali, cepuk, geringsing, ider ider, lamak, prada, and songket represent the wearer’s status.
Certain fabrics worn by Balinese men also hold supernatural powers, protecting them from malevolent spirits and enemies, especially during times of conflict or war.

The Vital Role of Traditional Ikat in Balinese Life
For centuries, Balinese ikat has played a pivotal role in society. Its hierarchy, roles, and beliefs are intricately woven into the fabric of daily life, following deep-rooted rules of dressing traditions. Ikat serves as a unifying force, an identity that embraces everyone who wears it, fostering a strong sense of ownership.

In Bali, the threads of ikat weave together not only fabric but also the essence of community, culture, and shared history.

Click Away and Take the Visual Journey

Balinese traditional weaving technique and tools are still still used by generational weavers in the village of Tanglad.
Sidemen Weaver
Traditional hand weaving is kept alive in the Balinese village of Sidemen.
All-natural Grisingan handwoven cloths bear consistency in colourings and patterns. In the hands of Tenganan weavers, the simplest tools produce the most priced cloths.
All-natural Grisingan handwoven cloths bear consistency in colourings and patterns. In the hands of Tenganan weavers, the simplest tools produce the most priced cloths.
Indigenous Bali Aga women of Tenganan Pegringsingan village are characterised by their distinct style of attire which invariably consists of their very own handwoven Kemben (half-body wrap top) and a Sarong bottom, keeping maroon as their signature colour.
Indigenous Bali Aga women of Tenganan Pegringsingan village are characterised by their distinct style of attire which invariably consists of their very own handwoven Kemben (half-body wrap top) and a Sarong bottom, keeping maroon as their signature colour.
By mix-matching their very own handwoven Grinsing works and Javanese batik, the Bali Aga women of Tenganan Pegringsingan village create a timeless feminine appeal, both natural and elegant.
Indigenous Bali Aga women of Tenganan Pegringsingan village are characterised by their distinct style of attire which invariably consists of their very own handwoven Kemben (half-body wrap top) and a Sarong bottom, keeping maroon as their signature colour.
Women in the village of Tenganan Pegringsingan often mix match Javanese batik sarong and their signature handwoven Gringsing ikat chest-wrap. The much sought-after Grinsing ikats are believed to have a protective power against bad spirits and diseases.
Aside from their usual maroon-coloured handwomen Sarongs and white Kembens, the women of Tenganan Pegringsingan village produce stunning black batik chest-wraps, as elegantly worn here by two generations.
Aside from their usual maroon-coloured handwomen Sarongs and white Kembens, the women of Tenganan Pegringsingan village produce stunning black batik chest-wraps, as elegantly worn here by two generations.
Hand-weaving skills are handed down through generations among female members of the indigenous Bali Aga village of Tenganan Pegringsingan. Only traditional tools and methods are applied to ensure the integrity of their Gringsing ikats through time.
Two generations of indigenous Bali Aga pose alongside their heritage wooden spindle, a highly prized possession in the traditional weaver village of Tenganan.
Two generations of indigenous Bali Aga pose alongside their heritage wooden spindle, a highly prized possession in the traditional weaver village of Tenganan.
While Bali Aga women wear their Gringsing handwoven cloths as chest-wraps, the males wear theirs as layer-wrap over their white or red sarongs. Featured here are Bali Aga young men during Mekare Kare ritual in their village of Tenganan Pegringsingan.
The indigenous Bali Aga traditional wedding attire for the bride and groom, along with their respective parents.
Kebaya Bali is the Balinese style of combining ikat sarong bottom and tight blouse top (bodice). Bright, cheerful colours are favoured to express the energetic, vibrant spirit of Balinese women.
White Kebaya Bali, the combination of ikat sarong and white long-sleeved body-fitting top, is the proper dress code for religious practices.
The combination of ikat sarong and white long-sleeved body-fitting top for females and white shirt top for males are the proper dress code for Bali Hindu religious practices.
Traditional Balinese attire provides comfort and ease as women of Serangan spend the day walking to accompany an annual Barong & Rangda dance tour around the village which happens at every end of Balinese Calendar year.
Elegant-casual style of Serangan village women as they attended the sacred Bali Hindu ritual of Metatah (Tooth Filing).
Traditional wedding costumes worn by Balinese bride and groom in the village of Serangan.
Teens in the village of Serangan pose proudly in their brightly coloured traditional costumes as they takepart in the sacred Tooth Filing Ceremony (Mematah).
Wrapped loosely around the lower leg, hanging a few inches above the ankle, the Balinese style of wearing their sarongs is a testament of their mobile life, especially in their ritual activities. Here women carrying offerings on their heads seem to glide with ease as they tackle the sandy slope on their way to the temple.
Wrapped loosely around the lower leg, hanging a few inches above the ankle, the Balinese style of wearing their sarongs is a testament of their mobile life, especially in their ritual activities. Here women carrying offerings on their heads seem to glide with ease as they tackle the sandy slope on their way to the temple.
Wrapped loosely around the lower leg, hanging a few inches above the ankle, the Balinese style of wearing their sarongs is a testament of their mobile life, especially in their ritual activities. Here women carrying offerings on their heads seem to glide with ease as they tackle the sandy slope on their way to the temple.
Endek is sacred woven fabric from Bali, adorned during ceremonies and everyday life. Diverse motifs, each with unique meanings. Endek symbolizes tradition, culture, and spirituality. It is worn by both women and men, however the latter usually wear endek as a layer-wrap over white or other plain coloured sarongs.
Endek is sacred woven fabric from Bali, adorned during ceremonies and everyday life. Diverse motifs, each with unique meanings. Endek symbolizes tradition, culture, and spirituality. It is worn by both women and men, however the latter usually wear endek as a layer-wrap over white or other plain coloured sarongs.
Saput Poleng is the Balinese black and white chequered sarongs and cloth pieces to symbolically represent the Dark and the Light, the Evil and the Good. It is worn or used during rituals and on items or locations deemed as sacred.
Young dancers from the village of Sudaji, Singaraja, pose in full glory of their golden costumes.
The proper attire of entering a temple in Bali, sarongs are worn with pride by all Balinese since very early age.

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