Hidden Calculation on Patterning the Warp and Weft Threads with Double Ikat Technique: Geringsing Textiles

Home , Geringsing, Ikat

Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 421 4th International Conference on Arts Language and Culture (ICALC 2019)

Nyoman Dewi Pebryani1, Michael Kleiss2, Tjok Istri R.C. Sudharsana3 1,3 Fashion Design Major (Program Studi Desain Mode), Department of Fine Arts and Design (FSRD), Indonesia Institute of the Arts (ISI) Denpasar, Indonesia 2 College of Architecture, Arts, and Humanities (CAAH), Clemson University, USA 1 [email protected], 2 [email protected], 3 [email protected]

Abstract: The double-ikat weaving technique only exists in three places in the world: Indonesia, India, and Japan. In Indonesia, the only place that practices double ikat weaving technique is Tenganan Pegringsingan village in Bali, which produces Gringsing textiles. The process of creating Gringsing textile is laborious and time-consuming; both the warp and the weft threads must be patterned and dyed independently prior to weaving. Hence, a detail calculation is required to match the pattern in the warp and the weft. To understand and document the calculation or computation on creating Gringsing textiles, ethnography research methodology along with visual computation analysis are involved. The researcher interviewed, observed, and participated with the activities of creating Gringsing textiles on-site, then analysis the data with visual computation to complement the ethnographic study. This study can be used as documentation for Tenganan Pegringsingan village specifically and other scholars generally. Besides, this research introduces a sequential method of ethnography and computation to investigate a hidden computation on other traditional textiles.

Keywords: ethnography, computation, Gringsing, double ikat weaving, Tenganan Pegringsingan

Introduction Gringsing textile is produced in Tenganan Pegringsingan village in Bali and is constructed with a double ikat weaving technique. A technique that only exists in three places in the world: India, Indonesia, and Japan. The double ikat weaving technique is a technique that requires patterning on both yarns, the warp and weft, prior to weaving. While a single ikat only requires either one of the yarns—warps or wefts—to be patterned prior to weaving. The single ikat weaving technique practiced in many places in Indonesia and is simpler compared to the double ikat weaving technique. While the double ikat weaving technique only practices in one place in Indonesia, which is Tenganan Pegringsingan village. People in Tenganan Pegringsingan village treat Gringsing textiles as a sacred cloth that is used as an object to be offered and worn during religious ceremonies. Interestingly, Gringsing textile not only is used by the people from the village but also from the outside village within Bali Island. According to Kohn (1933), “Gringsing is structured from two local words: gering and sing. Gering means sick or ill, and sing means no” (p.314). Therefore, Gringsing carries a meaning of both protection from and avoidance of illness. In order to avoid illness, people in Tenganan Pegringsingan belief that once the environment is in balance, then it brings protection to the villagers. The concept of balance reflects the process of creating Gringsing textiles, where people in this village belief by patterning both—the warp and weft—will provide balance so that the meaning of protection can be achieved. As the double ikat weaving technique is rare and complicated, matching the warp and weft threads prior to weaving involves complex calculation, which usually delivered from generation to generation through oral tradition. In 1975, Ramseyer and Gigi conducted a study in Tenganan Pegringsingan village by recording and documenting the process of creating Gringsing textiles.

Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Atlantis Press SARL. This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license -http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. 253 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 421

They published the result into three different articles and recordings (Ramseyer 1979;1983;1985). Although Ramseyer and Gigi have recorded the process of making Gringsing, a detail calculation on how the patterns applied to the threads were not explored. Battenfield (1978) used Gigi’s studies as the fundamental theory to create a double ikat textile in her studio; however, the result was far from the original. It missed the actual calculation from the weavers. Other researchers have studied Gringsing textiles focusing on patterns development (Gillow, 1992; Gittinger, 1979; Sadevi 2014; Mujaddidah, 2016) found that from 20 patterns, it developed into 27 patterns of Geringsing textiles; these studies emphasize on the types of patterns without elaborated on the technique. Although Pebryani (2019) had mentioned the technique of creating Gringsing textiles, the explanation was more on the connection between the meaning of the Gringsing textiles related to the process creation, not as a standalone explanation of the calculation. Hence, there is a need to document how detail calculation applied to both the warp and weft threads in the double ikat technique. In the end, this documentation is valuable for the people in the village and other scholars, especially as information about the double ikat technique that is complex and rare.

Methodology The process of understanding the calculation of the warp and weft threads conducted with ethnography research methodology. The qualitative data collection consisted of interviews and observations. The researcher audiotaped 14 interviews and videotaped 10 hours of observations, with specific questions around the process of creating a pattern in the warp and weft. The data were transcribed and coded to create categories of cultural meaning, including sub-categories of the structure of Gringsing textile, calculation of transferring the threads to the warp and weft frame, and wrapping both threads.

The Structure of Gringsing Textiles The process creating Gringsing textiles involves intricate calculation to precisely match the patterns on warp and weft threads. The warp and weft threads must be patterned prior to weaving in the double ikat weaving technique. This technique requires a tedious procedure for creating patterns on the warp and weft. The warp threads are located vertically on the loom, while the weft threads are interlacing between the warp horizontally from right to left. To match and balance the patterns on both warp and weft, the artisans have to calculate the number of threads with a specific formula. These calculations are reflected on how the artisan’s times and divide the number of threads. The act of calculating is called computation. To reveal the computation behind generating Gringsing textiles patterns, understanding the structure of Gringsing is necessary. Gringsing textiles structure consists of verge, border pattern, and body patterns (as can be seen in the figure 1. below). The Gringsing textile in figure 1 is called as Gringsing talidandan, and the overall pattern in Gringsing textile is built upon a repetition of a fundamental unit—a fragment of Gringsing textiles that is repeated, see figure 1 for clarification. A gringsing textile can be divided into four parts equally (A), as can be seen in figure 1. When observing this quarter part, the smallest part (B) is called a fundamental unit. This fundamental unit is a parameter for the artisans to decide how many threads for the warps and wefts are needed to create a pattern.

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Figure 1. (left & middle) structure of Gringsing textiles; (right) Gringsing talidandan

The fundamental unit brings information of how many threads needed for the width and height size.

Patterning the warp and weft The process of patterning the threads to the warp and the weft is done separately because each has a different calculation. Prior to the patterning, the threads transferred to the warp and weft skein. The warp skein is the thread facing vertically in the loom, while the weft skein interlaces horizontally within the warp threads.

The warp threads Gringsing textiles have five widths. Each width has its name: 14 (anteng), 24 (patlikur), 37 (wayang putri), 40 (petangdasa), and 42 (wayang kebo). These numbers (14, 24, 37, 40, 42) are called as buluan. One Buluan consists of several tigeh; the way to calculate tigeh is by counting how many textiles that the artisans want to produce in one-round production, and then times two—each textile requires two tigeh, and one tigeh has 16 threads. In transferring the threads to the warp frame, referred to as ngelimbengan, the makers pass the threads from one wooden stick to another by circling both woods to create the number eight without breaking up the threads; as a result, at the end of the weaving process, the fringes become connected. The figure 2. below shows an aerial view of the device for ngelimbengan. The sequence of transferring the yarns to the warp frame involves five steps. The sequence of transferring the yarns to the warp frame involves five steps. (1) The process of ngelimbengan requires several rounds, the first using two groups of threads, each consisting of 16 threads. These 16 threads are divided into four sub-groups, each with four threads. As seen in figure 2. below, the wooden stick in the right image

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shows the placement of the 16 threads in the four sub-groups while the wooden stick on the left shows the 16 threads joined tightly into one group. There are two tied groups on the left and eight sub-groups on the right.

diikat diujung

sebagai hasil akhir 8 lembar kain, maka dibutuhkan 8x2 buluan, dimana masing-masing kain membutuhkan 2 buluan.

setiap 4 helai dijadikan satu

4 x 4 diikat menjadi satu buluan helai benang

Figure 2. (upper) View the ngelimbengan device seen from above; (below) The ngelimbengan tool is showing the arrangements of the threads.

(2) A specific rule is applied to reduce the eight sub-groups into the four on the right: the first setelah dua buluan dijadikan satu - dengan proses 5 ke 4, 6 ke 3, 7 ke 2, dan selanjutnya disebut satu tigeh yang terdiri dari 16 buluan. 8 ke 1, Satu tigeh dibagi 4 bagian besar untuk pembuatan motifnya thread group is combined sewithlanjutnya p ethenyatuan 8eig gabunghth,an buluan methenjadi sa secondtu with the seventh, the third with the untuk kain anteng, dibutuhkan 7 tigeh (setengah dari 4 bundel), dimana nantinya masing-masing tigeh akan diambil 2 buluan untuk pembuatan satu sixth, and the fourth with the fifth. kain

The process of 'ngelimbengan' takes FigureThe n3 .t h(leftere) aThere tleftwo imagetied g rorefersup o ton tthehe explanationleft of step two; (right) the right image refers To combine each set of tigeh become one several rounds. This set is named 'tigeh', one tigeh is for to thean dexplanation 8 groups oofn stepthe rithree.ght. To unite the 8 buluan, the arrangement is slightly different. First round is to place two groups that one textile. In this case, the pattern groups become 4 of the right groups, there maker does the 'ngelimbengan' process In this case, the first to the fifth, the second to consists of 16 threads each, and then to is a rule to be applied: take the first to the the sixth, the third to the seventh, and the divide the 16 threads into 4 groups, so tha(3)t The result from Step Two is referred to tigeh; two tigehfor f oindicatesur textile s,one so textile. this pro Ince thisss ncase,eed to eighth, the second to the seventh, the third be repeated four times. fourth to the eighth. Once the one buluan is each group has 4 threads. thet opattern the si xtmakerh, an ddoes the thefou rtngelimbenganh to the fifth. for four textiles, so this process is repeated four set up, the process is continued to create up times, as shown in figure 3. to 12 buluan (4) The combination of threads is slightly different when combining each set of tigeh into one buluan. In this case the first combines with the fifth, the second with the sixth, the third with the seventh, and the fourth with the eighth. Once one buluan is set up, the process can be continued to create up to 12 buluan. See figure 4. for clarification.

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tied together on the left side all 16 threads 1 2 tied together on 3 All New 1 to 5 the left side 4 4 tigeh 5 2 to 6 all 16 threads 6 1 3 to 7 threads 1 1 to 8 7 put 2 2 to 7 8 2 4 to 8 3 together one tigeh 3 4 3 to 6 4 5 4 to 5 6 5 7 6 8 become 7 one 8 tigeh b b b The process of 'ngelimbengan' takes Then there are two tied group on the left To combFigureine e4a. chCombining set of ti gtigeheh b intoeco mebuluan on.e several rounds. This set is named 'tigeh', one tigeh is for and 8 groups on the right. To unite the 8 one textile. In this case, t he pattern buluan, the arrangement is slightly different. First round is to place two groups that groups become 4 of the right groups, there In this case, the first to the fifth, the second to maker does the 'ngel(5)imb eThenga imagen' pro cebelowss on the left shows 12 buluan ready for sipat, a process of providing lines consists of 16 threads each, and then to is a rule to be applied: take the first to the the sixth, the third to the seventh, and the divide the 16 threads into 4 groups, so that for four textiles, so this proonce thess yarn;need onceto this step is done, the warp frame is prepared to be wrapped as can be eighth, the second to the seventh, the third be repeated four times. fourth to the eighth. Once the one buluan is each group has 4 threads. to the sixth, and the fourth to the fifth. seen on the image below,set u pfigure, the p5.ro cess is continued to create up Border Main to 12 buluan Pattern Pattern

1 2 1 3 4 5 6 2 7 8 9 10 3 11 12 13 14 4 15 16 17 18 5 19 20 21 22 6 23 24 12 buluan 25 26 7 27 28 each 29 30 8 31 buluan has 32 33 34 9 35 4 36 37 38 10 39 tigeh/block 40 41 42 11 43 44 45 46 12 47 48

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 15 tigeh 28 tigeh Setengah bungkul one fundamental unit Figure 5. (left) Skeins with sipat ; (right) the fundamental unit of Gringsing talidandan patlikur

The weft threads In general, the length of the textile is about two meters. Each textile has a repetition of the fundamental patterns—set of unit patterns that are repeated more than once to create full patterns. In general, there are only two length sizes for the Gringsing textile: regular and tubuhan, which is three times longer than the regular size. The Gringsing talidandan patlikur discussed here has a regular size, approximately two meters in length. The process of transferring yarns to a weft frame is referred to as ngerengang or sutagi. Based on the fundamental unit, gringsing patlikur talidandan needs 56 tigeh for the main pattern and 15 tigeh for the border patterns, meaning there are 71 tigeh in total.

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A device for the threds

one group thread

Figure 6. The Illustration of ngerengang for the weft frame

The ngerengangThis is 1 bu lprocessuan (3 grou ptransferss of tigeh) the threads from the spools to the weft frame. Since the So, there will be 71 buluan with 3 tigeh threads in each. The way the pattern pattern makerma plansker coun tot on createe buluan ifours by co textiles,unting one tionegeh o naction top and tofwo tpullingigeh the threads will bring 28 threads since one textilebelow, needsor two tig seveneh on top threads and one ti g(usuallyeh below w itoneh a ro ptextilee. needs only four threads, but sometimes the maker creates more in case one break). The process of transferring the threads to the frame, or ngerengang, is done by spinning the frame on its axis. One tigeh has 28 threads, and one buluan for the weft frame consists of 3 tigeh. So, the weft frame for the Gringsing patlikur talidandan has 71 buluan, with three tigeh in each. The makers count one buluan by counting one tigeh on top and two tigeh on the bottom or two tigeh on top and one tigeh on the bottom. Each buluan is tied with a rope.

Wrapping the threads The warp frames. Wrapping, or medbed, is a process of wrapping the threads to protect the yarn from the dyeing process. The wrapping occurs after the threads are in the frame. Both the warp and weft frames have been given sipat, a process of providing lines on the yarn, prior to the wrapping. The person doing the wrapping has to provide plastic ropes in two colors corresponding to the pattern’s example, typically a blue rope for the threads to be dyed light yellow and a red one for those to be dyed red. Those not wrapped are dyed black at the end. The weft frames. Medbed weft threads involves ati, which locates the middle of the weft yarn. The pattern maker always starts wrapping from the middle/ati before continuing to the left or right, meaning ati is the parameter for wrapping the weft yarn.

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Figure 7. Wrapping the warp threads

Figure 8. Wrapping the weft threads

Conclusion Documenting the calculation of the weft and warp directly from the site is beneficial for both, people in the Tenganan Pegringsingan village as well as the outsider who are interested to know how the double-ikat weaving technique calculation on the warp and weft. This demanding process is needed to be preserved and documented as the process of transfer knowledge still rely on oral tradition. The warp and the weft are symbolically present the concept of balance that is believed by the people in the village. Intersecting horizontal and vertical threads that contain pattern is a representation of balance. In addition, the definition of Gringsing is no sickness or protection; ethimologically geringsing comes from the word gering means sick and sing means no. Thus, balance interlacement between the warp and the weft that contained patterns performs protection, which strengthens with calculation to match precisely the warp and the weft.

Acknowledgments We would like to convey thankfulness to the Tengananese for their assistance: The chief of Tenganan Pegringsingan village – I Putu Yudiana, ST, Pak Sadra, Pak Sadri, Mba Eka, Mba Martin, Mba Lestari, Mba Mimin, Bu Tut Nik, Bu Wayan Rusni, and other weavers and pattern

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makers at Tenganan Pegringsingan. Without their assistance and cooperation, this article would not be a complete as it is.

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