The Sacred Values In Songket, The Symbol Of Glory

JAKARTA, Sep 19 (Antara) - The city of Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara exuded an entirely different ambiance on the night that Lombok's 'Fashion on the Street' showcase was held. Its main road in front of the Governor's offices and pavilion was turned into a glimmering space as some different-coloured lights beamed in all directions, while some others put the spotlight on the runway stage. The Lombok Fashion on the Street, held in Mataram, was the first one the province had carried out, which is why Head of the West Nusa Tenggara's Tourism Offices Mohammad Faozal wanted to ensure that it brought a special philosophy and experience to all of its audiences. In order to achieve that, the Tourism office, along with Regional National Craft Council (Dekranasda), decided to feature songket as its main focus in the fashion show. "We need to be proud of our songket, especially the ones that are unique to West Nusa Tenggara. They bear a lot of potentials as the quality is not inferior to the ones originated in other regions," said Faozal. Songket has indeed become a craft product that is worthy of the national pride, Head of the West Nusa Tenggara Regional Craft Council (Dekranasda) Erica Zainul Majdi said that the fashion show is hoped to become an inspiration for the locals to continue sustaining the lively culture of songket. The event involved all women organization of West Nusa Tenggara as it also involved a number of designers, including Ria Miranda, Irna Mutiara, Daeng Epoel and other local designers, she explained. All of the designers used Songket fabrics as the focal points of their creations and during the lively event, the glimmering reflections of light did not came from crystal decorations or silver plates that would normally decorate runway stages. Rather, the rays of light were dancing quickly as they were caught by the shimmering weaving of Songket. Songket is a fabric that is unique to Indonesia, hand-woven out of silk or cotton with patterns that are made out of intricately entwined gold or silver threads. The metallic tones would stand out against the cotton or silk background and create a glimmering result. The sacred value of songket Beyond its nominal worth and market potentials, Songket hold much more sacred values in its philosophy. "Songket need to be seen not only as a product of craft that is made to be functional, but it is a form of worship, especially to the women of Lombok," said Zaeni Mohammad, a cultural expert who is originally from the island. In the history of West Nusa Tenggara's Sasak tribe songket-weaving is a skill that need to be possessed by all women and they were not allowed to get into a marriage unless they have mastered the art of Songket-making. One of the most well-known Songket fabric prints in Lombok goes by the name 'Subahnale' which originated from the word 'Subhanallah', one of the four praise words in the teachings of Islam. The word 'SubhanAllah' itself is an Arabic word that translates roughly to 'Glory Be To God', implying that God is perfect and is free of any errors or defects. The praise word is often said by the women of West Nusa Tenggara's Sasak tribe while they hand-weave songket fabrics with traditional apparatuses. "This is a form of worship and it shows that that worships and praises do not merely talk about nirvana, but they also talk about ritualistic practices and this is a form of cultural worship," Mohammad explained. The continual saying of the praise word is also a form of their emotional expressions when they are taking on the weaving of the songket, as they have to go through such complicated and time-consuming processes. The motive of the Subahnale songket is rather famous for its intricate details. It often feature hexagons that frame different patterns such as flowers or abstract shapes. The design had derived from the ancestors of the Sasak tribe, which also adds to the historical value of the Songket. A symbol of glory "Songket symbolizes glory. It symbolizes glory and dignity in the land of irons," said Mohammad, adding that it is one of the small cultural movements that adds value to a country like Indonesia, in which developments are taking place it is important to preserve practices and knowledge of traditional values. One of the ways that the country can take its part in conserving historic legacies such as songket is by establishing a centre or museum especially for songket and woven fabrics, representative to all areas in Indonesia. "I am optimistic for the philosophy of Songket to be brought forward in this modern culture, because it means protection and we need to protect our traditions in the midst of a crowded cultural interactions that often include instant things," he affirmed. The world of fashion today is indeed populated by instant products such as jeans and fabrics that are woven using automatic machines. In a lot of instances, fashion can also be limiting, in a sense that they are only meant to be used by certain groups of market rather than any individual who admires the beauty of a product. "When it comes to Songket, anyone can use it, there are no limitations, it was never meant for men nor women, it is meant for anyone to use it for their own cultural purposes. That is the ultimate wealth that our nation have and we are only talking about Songket, we still have so much more," he reiterated. The protection and preservation of cultural heritage that is packed with historical legacies are now in the hands of today's generation. It is imperative for the young people to be educated on the abundant of wealth that is possessed by the nation in order for them to understand such importance.