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Nusa Tenggara Timur, November 1, 2023 - A small village named Kampung Hula, located in the heart of Alor Island, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), is home to the rich tradition and cultural uniqueness of the art of handwoven ikat textiles. In this village, lives Mama Sariat Tole, a woman who has dedicated almost her entire life to preserving and advancing the art of Alor Island's distinctive ikat weaving.
Mama Sariat, with her skill and talented hands, has never stopped working towards preserving and promoting the heritage of Alor Island's ikat weaving. In her artworks, she creates handwoven ikat fabrics using cotton threads, natural dyes, and highly distinctive motifs. Mama Sariat's ikat fabrics are extraordinary because she creates her own cotton threads and natural dyes from the natural resources of her homeland.
When Mama Sariat was five years old, her mother, Mama Peni, began teaching her the art of weaving. Since then, Mama Sariat has continued to develop her skills and innovations in maintaining the quality of Alor's ikat textiles. One of her innovations is the use of high-quality cotton threads, derived from cotton plants she cultivates in her backyard garden, and spins into threads using traditional tools.
To ensure that Alor's ikat fabrics have their characteristic colors, long-lasting quality, and high standards, Mama Sariat avoids the use of chemical dyes. Instead, she diligently processes natural dyes from materials found in her surrounding environment, such as squid ink, seaweed, cashew resin, moringa leaves, indigo, betel nuts, turmeric, madder roots, and more.
The process of dyeing the threads takes several weeks, requiring incredible patience and dedication. Mama Sariat's meticulous work with natural dyes has yielded remarkable results. In 2013, the Indonesian Museum of Records (MURI) recognized Mama Sariat as the creator of the highest number of natural colors for ikat weaving, having developed more than 200 natural colors for Alor's ikat textiles.
"The cotton I plant myself produces strong and thick threads, highly favored by foreign consumers, especially in Japan, who seek fabrics with natural colors and excellent durability. High-quality threads and perfect thread colors make it easier for weavers to produce high-quality handwoven textiles according to the desired motifs," says Mama Sariat, who also serves as the Chairperson of the Gunung Mako Weaving Group.
Her impressive achievements are not only recognized in Indonesia but also worldwide. She has been invited to showcase her work in 13 countries, including Japan and the Netherlands. Mama Sariat has made significant contributions to preserving Alor's ikat weaving culture.
Today, Mama Sariat has taken on a new role. She not only weaves but also shares her knowledge with other weavers, including the younger generation. Mama Sariat Tole is a true example of a dedicated cultural preserver and an artist who breathes life into remarkable handcrafted art.
"With her exceptional quality and natural dyes, along with her spirit in sharing her knowledge, Mama Sariat is a priceless asset to Alor's ikat weaving and NTT. Therefore, the Indonesian Export Financing Institution (LPEI) empowers her as a mentor to assist weavers on Alor Island and the surrounding areas in using natural dyes and natural threads to produce higher-quality and finer textiles," says Anggi Kurniawan, Executive of LPEI's Consultancy Services Division.
Embracing the collaborative spirit of #KemenkeuSatu, LPEI, PT SMI, and the NTT Regional Government provide guidance and training to the Devisa Weaving Cluster, consisting of 495 weavers, the majority of whom are women, in 22 villages in East Nusa Tenggara. LPEI/Indonesia Eximbank, alongside relevant stakeholders, acts as an incubator and export accelerator for NTT's weaving clusters.
"This collaboration creates synergy between cultural preservation and efforts to advance NTT's economy. LPEI helps NTT weavers expand their access to export markets for weaving products and promotes Indonesian culture overseas. LPEI offers product development training, strengthens business management, assists in increasing production capacity, and expands market access," says Anggi.
Media Contact: Chesna F. Anwar Corporate Secretary – Indonesian Export Financing Institution Phone: (021) 39503600 Email: corpsec@indonesiaeximbank.go.id Web: http://www.indonesiaeximbank.go.id
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