Songket

It has been suggested that Songket Minangkabau be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since December 2023.

Songket

A typical Minangkabau songket, the pattern in the lower third representing bamboo sprouts
Type	Art fabric
Material	Silk, cotton, gold, silver
Place of origin	Palembang, Sumatra (present-day Indonesia, mainly and originally),[1][2] spread throughout Maritime Southeast Asia[3]

Songket
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
Country	Malaysia
Domains	Traditional craftsmanship
Reference	01505
Region	Asia and the Pacific
Inscription history
Inscription	2021 (16th session)
List	Representative List

Songket or sungkit is a tenun fabric that belongs to the brocade family of textiles of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. It is hand-woven in silk or cotton, and intricately patterned with gold or silver threads.^[4] 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 a technique called supplementary weft weaving technique.^[5]

Songket is often associated with the Srivijaya Empire as the origin of the songket tradition, several types of popular Songket can not be separated from locations that were once under Srivijaya rule, one of the dominant locations which is also believed to be the capital of the Srivijaya Empire in the past, namely Palembang, which located in South Sumatra, Indonesia. Besides Palembang, several areas in Sumatra are also the best-in-class Songket producing locations, which include areas in Minangkabau or West Sumatra such as Pandai Sikek, Silungkang, Koto Gadang, and Padang. Outside of Sumatra, songket is also produced by regions such as Bali, Lombok, Sambas, Sumba, Makassar, Sulawesi, and other areas in Indonesia.

Due to the historical factors of the Srivijaya Empire, trade, and mixed marriages, Songket has also become popular in the Maritime Southeast Asia region, especially in countries around Indonesia such as Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Based on the analysis conducted on the statues at the Bumiayu temple, South Sumatra, it can be seen that songket has been worn by the people of South Sumatra since the 8th century CE, when Srivijaya was based in Palembang. This statue was found at the Bumiayu Temple Archaeological Site which is located on the downstream bank of Lematang River which empties into Musi River, precisely in Tanah Abang District, Penukal Abab Lematang Ilir Regency approximately 120 km to the west of Palembang City.

In Indonesia, five songket traditions are recognised as Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture.^[6] They are songket traditions of Palembang^[7] and Sambas,^[8] both appointed in 2013; Pandai Sikek songket of West Sumatra,^[9] appointed in 2014; songket tradition of Beratan, Bali appointed in 2018;^[10] and Silungkang songket tradition of West Sumatra, appointed in 2019.^[11] In 2021, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) officially recognized Songket Malaysia as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.^[12]