Minahasa people, an enthnic group in North Sulawesi Indonesia, had started to weave clothes from 7th century by using material provided by nature. The clothes were weaved from barks of "Lahendong" and "Sawukouw" tree fiber. This type of weaving is called "Fuya". There were also thread made from pineapple and banana, they were called "Koffo", and the last one was "Wa'u", it was thread of bamboo fiber. Eight hundred years later, around 15th century, Minahasan people began to utilize cotton thread as the raw material of the weaving; and, the result of this weaving is later called Bentenan Weaving.
Bentenan was a village in the south eastern region of Minahasa, part of Pasan district, Ratahan, Ponosakan and Tonsawang where this type of weaving was also discovered. Presently, it is part of South East Minahasa Regency. Bentenan Cloth had been woven until early 20th century before nobody weaved it anymore.
During its time, Bentenan Weaving was one type of high quality cloth. It was even mentioned to be well-known in the world. It was caused by the procession and cult would be performed before the women started to weave the thread. The women were mentioned to sing praises to God Almighty as the first ritual of the cult. Moreover, the weaving technic was quiet unique where the end of woven cloth might joined without any cutting or joints and it had small bells surrounding the clothes, this type was called Pasolongan Rinegetan.
Bentenan Cloth is a type of Ikkat Weaving. It is called so because in the process one of the raw material either it is the wept or warp will be tied and died in color following certain type and pattern. In Bentenan Weaving it is the wept thread being tie-died by double or triple process, that makes it unique to since most of the woven cloth endure only one time tie-die process. Speaking of weaving, most of the process usually utilizes non-machinery equipment, other words it is handmade.
After almost 100 years, Bentenan Cloth was no longer weaved, a foundation in Minahasa land named "Karema" begun to weave again this Bentenan Cloth.
There are 7 motifs of Bentenan Cloth:
Presently there are 28 sheet of Bentenan cloth remains from the weaving before the year 1900.
20 sheets are with Pinatikan motif:
Bentenan Cloth is now weaved again in Sonder, Minahasa with many variation and new motifs. It is simply enriching the value of Minahasa tradition in term of clothing.
Interested in this type of weaving, you can come to Minahasa Land, North Sulawesi, see the process by yourself. But, if you need to purchase this type of cloth without coming to the source, you can contact Toko Kain Minahasa
 |
| A contestant of Miss Universe 2017, Kezia Warouw is gracefully in Bentenan Cloth |
During its time, Bentenan Weaving was one type of high quality cloth. It was even mentioned to be well-known in the world. It was caused by the procession and cult would be performed before the women started to weave the thread. The women were mentioned to sing praises to God Almighty as the first ritual of the cult. Moreover, the weaving technic was quiet unique where the end of woven cloth might joined without any cutting or joints and it had small bells surrounding the clothes, this type was called Pasolongan Rinegetan.
Bentenan Cloth is a type of Ikkat Weaving. It is called so because in the process one of the raw material either it is the wept or warp will be tied and died in color following certain type and pattern. In Bentenan Weaving it is the wept thread being tie-died by double or triple process, that makes it unique to since most of the woven cloth endure only one time tie-die process. Speaking of weaving, most of the process usually utilizes non-machinery equipment, other words it is handmade.
After almost 100 years, Bentenan Cloth was no longer weaved, a foundation in Minahasa land named "Karema" begun to weave again this Bentenan Cloth.
There are 7 motifs of Bentenan Cloth:
- Tonilama, cloth of white thread, uncolored, white cloth
- Sinoi, cloth with colorful thread and has lines
- Pinatikan, cloth with image of nets or hexagonal pattern, and it was the first type of cloth weaved in Minahasa
- Tinompak Kuda, cloth with various repeating pattern or image
- Tinoton Mata, cloth with image of human
- Kaiwu Patola, cloth with pattern of Python skin
- Kokera, cloth with image of colorful flowers and has beads embroidered
Presently there are 28 sheet of Bentenan cloth remains from the weaving before the year 1900.
20 sheets are with Pinatikan motif:
- 2 sheets are in National Museum of Jakarta, Indonesia
- 4 sheets are in Tropenmuesum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 7 are in Museum Voor Land-an Volkenkunde, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- 2 are in Museum fur Volkenkunde, Frankfut-am-Main, Germany
- 4 are in Ethonograpical Museum, Dresden, Germany
- 1 is in Indonesisch Ethnografisch Museum, Delft, Netherlands
- 2 are in National Museum, Jakarta Indonesia
- 4 are in Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 2 are in Rotterdam Ethnology Museum
Bentenan Cloth is now weaved again in Sonder, Minahasa with many variation and new motifs. It is simply enriching the value of Minahasa tradition in term of clothing.
Interested in this type of weaving, you can come to Minahasa Land, North Sulawesi, see the process by yourself. But, if you need to purchase this type of cloth without coming to the source, you can contact Toko Kain Minahasa
 |
| Joko Widodo, Indonesian Presiden in Bentenan Cloth |
Comments
Post a Comment