Universitas Indonesia (UI), through the Bakul Budaya Community of the Faculty of Humanities (FIB) and the Makara Art Center (MAC), held a national seminar titled “Menenun Cerita Tenun Tidore” (Weaving the Story of Tidore Woven Fabric) to commemorate Hari Tenun Nasional (National Weaving Day) which is celebrated every September 7. The event, which took place at the MAC UI Auditorium, on Saturday, September 7, also coincided with the celebration of the 2nd Anniversary of the Bakul Budaya Community which has been active in preserving Indonesian culture since September 3, 2022.
The Chairperson of the Bakul Budaya Community, Dewi Fajar Marhaeni, said that this seminar aims to reintroduce the typical Tidore woven motifs that had been lost for a century. This activity is in line with the mission championed by the Bakul Budaya Community, namely preserving culture, caring for the earth, and weaving diversity.
“We hope that the public will be more familiar with the weaving tradition from eastern Indonesia, because through Wastra Nusantara, we can strengthen the nation’s identity. Therefore, let’s popularize Tidore Weaving so that it is more widely known,” she said.
The weaving tradition has inherited patience and tenacity from the Indonesian people. According to the Head of MAC UI, Dr. Ngatawi Al-zastrouw, each weaving has its own story, including the typical weaving of Tidore. On that occasion, the Founder of Puta Dino Kayangan, Anita Gathmir told her story of reviving the weaving tradition among the Tidore community. The preservation effort was carried out after she realized that the culture in Tidore was increasingly eroded.
“One day, I witnessed a traditional procession in Tidore which was actually thick with Javanese cultural nuances. From there, I was moved to trace back the tradition of wastra that developed in Tidore, because it is impossible for the sultanate headed by Uli Siwa not to have its own unique weaving motif,” said Anita.
Her investigation found light when a grandmother brought a shabby woven cloth. The cloth was a legacy from her grandmother’s mother. With all the limitations, Anita reconstructed the original Tidore weaving motif with the help of the Sultan of Tidore’s family. In 2020, Anita and several of her students successfully recreated Tidore Weaving using the sukit method.
“Another unique feature of Tidore Weaving is that its basic ingredients come from pineapple and banana with coloring using cloves and nutmeg which are abundant there. We produce this product not only for business, but also to preserve culture,” said Anita.
Anita also promotes Tidore Weaving to the international level. She introduced this type of weaving to the United States, Japan, and Morocco. Through this step, she hopes that there will be a collective awareness that grows among Indonesian society to appreciate cultural heritage, especially the weaving tradition in the archipelago.
The seminar activity which was attended by 500 participants also featured the Makjang Dance which originated from Tidore. This dance contains the values of joy and the people’s fighting spirit that never fades. In addition, other dances, such as the Plate Dance, Dinggu Dance, and Tepak Selaras Dance, also enlivened the event.
