The magnificence of this piece of shoulder cloth lies in its extensive coverage of gold supplementary weft, known as ‘songket’. Songket was sometimes dubbed as ‘cloth of gold’. Although the art of songket weaving is practised across the Malay world, the Minangkabau are especially well known for both the quality of their songket as well as the high importance which they place in such textiles. Songket was a symbol of status and traditionally reserved for aristocrats in Minangkabau society. It was used during ceremonial occasions and weddings.
