Kayla Towns
ID 3311.001
GAINES
9-7-2011
Fibers: IKAT
There are many fibers that are not only beautiful, but full of history, background, and meaning and IKAT is most certainly one of those. In a few short paragraphs, a summary of the most important and interesting facts about this fiber will be covered, beginning with its origin: Indonesia.
IKAT is the most popular and signature fiber that is used for many different things in the Indonesian culture. The word IKAT comes from the Indonesian word ‘mengikat’ which means ‘to tie or wrap’. Before it was called IKAT, Europeans called it “Flame Cloth” because of the flame-like designs found in the fabric.
Indonesians have been practicing the art of IKAT for generations. It is a very complicated system of creating fibers that is very tedious and time-consuming. In short, the threads are tied together in groups before they are woven. Certain groups of tied threads are also covered in wax to keep them from absorbing dye in the later dyeing process. This is called resist-dyeing. However, in a Double IKAT, both the warp AND weft threading is tied together and coated in wax. This is done to create slightly hazy borders between colors, giving the finished piece a softer look. If there are many colors in the fabric, it takes longer to dye, dry, and repeat the process in the remaining colors. The process highly involves color layering and takes a considerable amount of time to achieve a beautiful fabric.
IKAT is not only found in Indonesia, but all over Asia. It is a very popular style in Malaysia, India, China, and Uzbekistan. IKAT has been used for very special purposes, including ceremonial significance in the Indonesian culture.
In conclusion, IKAT is not only a beautiful technique, but is also full of history, background and meaning.
Original image found at:
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=ikat+fabric/
Photoshop rendering
Great information, this blog was very informative. I enjoyed the historical information of the fabric.
ReplyDeleteThis was very informative, there was a lot of great information. I enjoyed the historical and processing accounts.
ReplyDeleteVery well written and interesting! I found myself learning instead of just skimming :)
ReplyDeleteIt is nice to read about a fiber that I don't know very much about. I like that you added in the pictures because they helped me visualize what kind of fabric this fiber has been made into.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great blog Kayla! I never knew that Ikat had such a rich and interesting history. Thanks for teaching me about its orgins!
ReplyDeleteI love that you picked a unique topic that not a lot of people chose. Your organization is very easy to follow and I learned a lot about IKAT that i didn't previously know. I like that you were different and put your images at the bottom of your post. It is almost a surprise to those who didn't know what IKAT looks like. Nice job, you are very creative and your blog post illustrates that!
ReplyDelete