Sasak (sesek) woven cloth is one of the traditional Lombok souvenirs that you must buy before you go back home from your Lombok holiday. This traditional woven cloth is colorful and unique.
Your Lombok trip agenda must not only contain trips to Lombok Gilis and beaches. You must also plan a trip to a traditional weaving village in your vacation.
There are several weaving villages in Lombok. One of the most popular one is Sukarere. It is only one of the three popular weaving villages in Lombok. The other two are Sade in Cetral Lombok and Pringgasela in East Lombok.
Sukarere Weaving Village
Sukarere is the center of Sasak woven cloth production. This village is located in Jonggat District, Central Lombok. Sukarere is about 30-minute drive from Mataram.
Sasak is the ethnic group who live in this village. For Sasak women, being able to weave traditional woven cloth is a must. They are not allowed to marry the men they love if they cannot weave.
Young women of Sukarere have been thought this old-age tradition since before they reach puberty. One of them said that they have learned to weave since she was nine.
Her mother had thought her the techniques, motifs, and patterns to make the traditional hand woven cloth. Most Sasak women can weave by the time they are 15.
If a Sasak woman cannot weave but want to get marry, she must pay a fine in the form of rice field, money, or rice.
In this weaving village, you can watch how Sasak women weave the traditional woven cloth from colorful cotton threads. You can also watch them coloring these threads using natural coloring ingredients.
Woven cloth that is colored this way usually has paler color than those made of artificially colored threads. Cotton threads that are colored in artificial coloring substance are usually very bright in color.
Aside from looking the process of weaving Sasak traditional cloth, you can also try to weave under the Sasak women guidance. Weaving Sasak traditional cloth is difficult and takes time. In consequence, it is quite expensive.
Another weaving village in Central Lombok
If you have more time to spare, you must also visit Sade village. This weaving village is only 5 kms from the Lombok International Airport.
In this village, you cannot only watch how the village women created the traditional l cloth and buy it. But you can also enjoy the unique architecture of the traditional village houses.
Visiting Lombok weaving villages is perfect for family holidays.
