Songket "Hand-Woven"

Songket is a fabric that belongs to the brocade family of textiles. It is hand-woven in silk or cotton, and intricately patterned with gold or silver threads. The metallic threads stand out against the background cloth to create a shimmering effect. In the weaving process the metallic threads are inserted in between the silk or cotton weft (latitudinal) threads.

In Indonesia, songket is produced in South of Sumatra (Palembang) and some of region such us Kalimantan, Bali, Sulawesi, Lombok and Sumbawa. Outside of Indonesia, further production areas include the east coast of the Malay Peninsula and Brunei.

Historically, production was located in politically significant kingdoms because of the high cost of materials; the gold thread used was originally wound with real gold leaf.

foto: penenun adis songket