Bentenan Woven Cloth From North Sulawesi Indonesia

 If in Java it is famous for its batik and in South Sumatra for its Songket, in North Sulawesi there is a traditional woven cloth that is no less beautiful, namely the Bentenan Woven Cloth.

Bentenan Woven Fabrics are made in Tombulu, Tondano, Ratahan, Tombatu, and other areas in Minahasa, however, the name Bentenan is taken from the name of the main port area in North Sulawesi, namely Bentenan, because it was from this port that Bentenan fabrics were first exported in the 15th-17th centuries. Minahasa.

The specialty of this Bentenan cloth is that the manufacturing process is complicated and takes a long time, the Bentenan cloth is woven using the double tie technique, the threads that make up the width of the cloth (weft) are called Sa'lange and the threads that extend (warp) are called Wasa'lene. Double tie technique like this is an tie weaving technique with a high level of difficulty, this technique is very rarely used in other areas. The motifs that can be created from this technique will be smooth, complicated and very unique. The Bentenan fabric is woven continuously to produce a cylindrical or tube-shaped cloth. Then in the coloring process, Bentanan fabrics use natural dyes derived from plants that grow in the region. The blue or green color is usually obtained from the Taun tree, then when added to whiting water, the blue color will turn black. Lenu bush (morinda bractenta) for a yellow color and when mixed with whiting water it will turn red. Lelenu (peristrophe tinctoris) for red color, Sangket (homnolanthus paulifolius) skin produces black color.

The Bentenan woven fabric itself has seven motifs, namely Tinompak Kuda (woven with various repeating motifs), Tononton Mata (woven with human images), Kalwu Patola (woven with Indian Patola weaving motifs) and Kokera (woven with colorful floral motifs embroidered with beads). beads), Tonilama (woven from white threads, colorless and is a white cloth), Sinoi (woven with colorful threads and in the form of stripes), and Pinatikan, woven with stripes and hexagon motifs, were the first woven in Minahasa.

Because the manufacturing process is complicated and takes a long time, Bentenan woven fabrics are sold at prices starting from Rp. 600,000.00 and Bentenan Print fabrics are sold at various prices starting from Rp.

So, if you are visiting North Sulawesi and want to bring souvenirs from North Sulawesi, you can buy Bentenan woven cloth.

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