This is an example of a ‘geringsing cempaka’, one of the rarest styles of geringsing cloth. The geringsing is a rare example of a double ikat textile weaving which make sit distinct in Island Southeast Asia. In double ikat weaving technique, the threads of both the warp and the weft are tied and dyed prior to weaving. The threads are stretched on frames, and groups are tightly bound with fibres at certain points prior to soaking in the dye, so that the tied part remains uncoloured. After dyeing the continuous warp threads are set up on the loom while the weft threads have to be wound into shuttles. Both sets of threads then have to be very carefully aligned during the weaving to ensure that the design comes out coherently.Geringsing cloths are made only in the Bali Aga village of Tenganan Pegeringsingan in Eastern Bali. The weavers jealously guard the secrets of their art from outsiders and believe they are direct descendants of Indian migrants. In this, they can be connected to the patola weaving tradition of Gujarat in Western India although this link has not been proven definitively. Geringsing cloths are considered by all Balinese to have the power to ward off evil spirits and misfortune. Their production is extremely labour intensive and especially powerful types used for ritual are said to take months to produce. As such they are both highly valued and widely sought.
