Revitalising the craft of Songket Weaving through Innovation in Malaysia

• Main Author: Kheng, J.N.S
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English
• Published: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, (UNIMAS) 2011
• Subjects: NC Drawing Design Illustration
• Online Access: http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/2558/1/Revitalising%20the%20craft%20of%20Songket%20Weaving%20through%20Innovation%20in%20Malaysia.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/2558/

The art of songket weaving is believed to have come to the Malay Peninsula through trade, migration and political marriages since the fifteenth century. Songket is a piece of breathtaking traditional Malay fabric which belongs to the brocade group of textiles. It is woven in silk or cotton threads and the songket patterns are formed by gold or coloured metallic threads using the supplementary weft technique. This paper focuses on the history of songket in the Malay Peninsula as well as the processes and problems faced by songket weaving cottage industry in Malaysia. Even though the craft of songket weaving has a very long history in the Malay Archipelago, the number of songket weavers has dwindled recently. This could be due to the rather limited usage of songket and reluctance of the younger generation women to participate in the industry as songket weaving is perceived to be time-consuming and boring. Consequently, the craft of songket weaving may one day diminish if our younger generation is no longer interested in the songket weaving profession. Thus in 2008, a special songket project was initiated by the Yayasan Tuanku Nur Zahirah's (YTNZ), a Foundation established by the Her Majesty Tuanku Nur Zahirah. YTNZ aims to revive the craft of songket weaving by teaching young women the necessary weaving skills to produce contemporary and high quality songket as well as broadening the usage of songket. Examples of the songket activities and projects carried by YTNZ in producing contemporary songket and application are also highlighted in this paper.