KAIN SONGKET

The term songket comes from Malay/Indonesian word sungkit,which mean to hook. It has something to do with the method of songket making,to hook and pick the group of threads,and then slip the gold threads in it. Some say that the word songket was derived from songka, a Palembang cap in which gold threads was first woven.
The word "menyongket" means to embroider with gold or silver threads. Songket is a luxury product traditionally worn during ceremonial occasions as "sarung",shoulder cloths or head ties. Tanjak or songket headdresses were worn at the courts of the Malay sultanates. Traditionally muslim women and adolescent girls wove songket,some boys and men are also weaving today. Traditionally patterned Sumatran textiles embody a system of interpretable emblems.

SONGKET PANDAI SIKEK.

Pandai sikek is an area on the list of tourist visits to West Sumatera to shops. In West Sumatera, when people talk about songket with quality number one,people will definitely call Pandai Sikek or woven songket pandai sikek antique. This is not surprising because almost every traditional ceremony in Minangkabau we will find people wearing songket Pandai Sikek as basic clothing (gloves and scarves ).

Motifs woven Pandai Sikek always taken from old pabric samples are still stored properly and is often used as clothing in ceremonies and for other functions within the scope of custom event,such as tando, and also on display at home Batagak.

In its development songket pandai sikek also experienced progress. Now,songket pandai sikek not only found in the form of gloves and scarves,but also can be found in the form of a patterned wall hangings gadang,verse chairs and others.
Songket Pandai Sikek is now known throughout the archipelago and Asia even to Europe,Africa and America. This fame is inseperable from Pandai Sikek maketh as tourist villages,so that it becomes a place that will always stop off at the local and foreign tourists who vacation in West Sumatera.

SONGKET PALEMBANG.

Songket are generally worn of costumary communities to attend the nuptials Palembang,baby hair shaving ceremony and the dancer fashion Gending Sriwijaya ( welcome dance ). The type of Palembang songket motifs,which are :
- Songket Lepus. Songket Lepus is gold thread songket almost cover the entire piece of pabric. This songket is the highest quality and most expensive price.

- Songket Tawur. In this embroidered motives do not cover the entire surface of the pabric but in groups and spread lies ( distributed ).

- Songket Tretes Mender. In this kind of songket not found of picture in the middle of the pabric motif.

SONGKET BALI.

Songket is type of traditional woven pabric that each area has its own characteristics and style,not to mention the Balinese songket. In Bali there are some areas songket craftsmen, one of the songket Balinese craftsmen are Sidemen.